Southern Love
by PrincessSakura220
Summary: Kaiti is an ordinary teen until she meets hottie Kenmaru. Suddenly, she is thrust into the world of youkai and miko as she discovers that not only is she in love with an inu hanyou, but also the son of her two greatest anime heroes. *Lemons later*
1. The Friendship

**Southern Love**

Chapter 1: The Friendship

(Kaiti's POV)  
The bright morning sun shines overhead as I drive to school. My name is Kaiti Shealy, and today is my first day as a high school junior. As of right now, I am 16 years old (until October 5th that is). I am a red-headed girl with baby blue eyes and a ton of dang freckles all over my face and arms. I'm about 5'6'' tall and weigh around 135 lb, give or take. I didn't always have a slim figure though. A few months ago, I was chubby, very chubby. Then my parent's helped to intervene and now I am finally slender. Damn, I don't even know what bread or sugar taste like anymore. But yeah, today is the first day of school, and I'm finally a junior. I just hope that today is as good as I hope it'll be.

I drive into the school parking lot and easily slide my car into my spot. I'm early, but that's a usual for me. I usually panic if I'm not early. Just as every band and colorguard student says, "To be early is to be on time. To be on time is to be late!." Yeah, I was a band geek. I still kinda am, if you count marching with the band as a flag girl. And just so you know, we spin our flags, not twirl. Glad that I have a good 20 minutes before I have to be in class, I flip out my phone and text a quick, "Hey r u here yet?" to my dear adopted sister Marrissa. The two of us have been bff's since 8th grade, when we had language class together every morning. We're basically sisters now, almost like twins. But we can't ever really be twins unless I either dye my hair dark brown, or she dyes hers red. We both know that'll never happen. Finally after about a minute, my phone vibrates. "Yeah," she has text back, "I'm in the library. Wbu?" "On my way," I text back and close my phone.

With a happy sigh, I hop out of my car and grin when a few of my fellow junior classmates look my way. All of their faces read, "OMG! Look at Kaiti! She's skinny!" I giggle slightly at their faces. "Hey y'all," I say with a grin. "Wow Kaiti," my friend Gemma exclaims, "You look good girl!" "Thanks Gem," I reply, "I worked really hard over the summer. I swear, I don't even remember what bread or sugar tastes like." Gemma gives me a warm hug and says, "Well I'm proud of you girl. You finally did it." "Yeah," I say with a smile and hug her back, "Thanks." Feeling my phone vibrate in my pocket I sigh. Grabbing my phone, I see that it's Marrissa, wanting to know where in the hell I am. "Got to go Gem," I say with a smile, "Rissa's waiting on me in the library." "Ok," she says, "See you later in AP Chem. girl!" "Alright," I holler over my shoulder as I head towards the school building. Then I see him. Right in front of me, about to enter the building, is a tall, muscular guy with long black hair. Damn, he's gorgeous. "Wow," I whisper, "Some new kid."

Almost as if he hears me, the new guy looks over at me and smiles. My heart skips a beat when he holds the door open for me and says, "After you ma'am." "Thanks," I reply, "So are you new here?" "Yeah," he says with a grin, "I'm Kenmaru and I'm a junior." "Hi Kenmaru," I say with a smile, "I'm Kaiti and I'm also a junior." "Cool," he replies, "I hope to see you around." He then flashes another smile at me and I swear that if he keeps doing that I'm going to one day just melt into a puddle of love-struck teenager. Then, he's gone. "Wow," I whisper again, "I hope he's in at least one of my classes."

After I meet Rissa in the library and tell her about my run in with the hot new guy, I head off to my AP Statistics class. (Yeah I know, I'm a nerd. But I like it that way.) As soon as I walk in, I can't help but smile. There, sitting in one of the first seats is Kenmaru, the hot guy from earlier. "Hey," he says with an almost wild grin, "Long time, no see huh?" I giggle at his joke and sit beside him. "Yeah I guess," I reply with a smile, "What other classes do you have?" With a grin he replies, "Here just look at my schedule. I bet you'll be able to tell if we have any other classes together." I smile and take the bit of paper from his outstretched hand. Glancing down at it I gasp and then laugh in wonder. "Wow," I say still laughing, "We have every single class together today and tomorrow. What are the odds huh?" "That's cool with me," he replies as I hand him back his schedule, "At least I'll know at least one person in every class today and tomorrow." I smile at him and turn to face the front as the bell rings and our teacher, Mrs. Taylor, begins the class.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
I can't help but smile as I walk to my next class with Kaiti. Even with my hanyou senses slightly dulled by the cloaking charm around my neck, for some odd reason the only thing I can smell is her sweet scent. Her voice is the only one that my supersensitive ears hear. This spunky, fiery red-head walking beside me is absolutely amazing. Keh, as if I'd let my guard down and tell her though. "Here we are," Kaiti finally says as we stand in front of our third class of the day, "This is Mrs. Weathersbee's room. I think you'll like her. I had her for honors English last year, and the class was amazing and really funny." "Cool," I reply and smile at her, "Well let's go in and get our seats. Want to sit by me again?" She looks at me and her face reads a, "NO DIP Sherlock," kind of expression. I laugh and say, "So I take that as a yes?" "Heck yeah," she says and blushes slightly, which I find kind of cute, "And if any of my friends are already here, they'll have to move if they want to sit near me. I'll be damned if they try to get me to move." I laugh slightly and reply, "Ok. That's fine with me." I smile at her again. Damn, she's so fiery. It must be that red hair of hers, or it's just her personality. Whatever it is though, I like it a lot.

We walk into the classroom and I smirk when I see that just like in our last two classes, there are a few other disguised youkai and hanyou. Kaiti takes a seat and I set my stuff down at the desk next to hers. A few of the disguised youkai and hanyou look at me curiously. I growl lowly so that only they can hear. It sends a clear message, "This human is my friend, leave her alone." A few give low growls in understanding responses. "Good," I think as they stop staring, "I just hope that none of them recognize my blood line. They'd all jump at the chance to be friends with the nephew of the current Inu no Taisho and son of the legendary hanyou Inuyasha. Yep, the manga and anime are completely true. My older sister, Rumiko, is the author. Not long after we sit down in our desks, a small disguised neko hanyou whirls into the room and automatically goes up to Kaiti. "Sis," she exclaims happily, "I'm so happy that we have at least one class together this year! It'll be just like 8th grade huh?" 'Sis,' I think to myself curiously, 'But Kaiti is completely human.' "Hey Rissa," Kaiti says with a grin, "I'm glad too. Oh, but I'm kinda sad too! We don't have BJ in here, so we can't call him a banana-cherry hybrid like we did back in 8th grade!"

The neko hanyou, Rissa, laughs happily. "Oh I remember that," she says still laughing, "He was our special fruit! We called all of the other guys in our class lemons or oranges and stuff, but we couldn't decide what BJ was, so we mixed the too most likely." "Yep," Kaiti says with a laugh, "And he still is a banana-cherry hybrid. Always will be." "Yep yep," Rissa replies and then looks at me. "Who's this Kaiti," she asks with a suspicious look on her face. "Oh," Kaiti says with a gasp and turns to me, "I'm so sorry! Sis, this is Kenmaru. Kenmaru, this is Marrissa. We're adopted-sisters. Or at least in our minds." Marrissa grins and says, "Yep, have been since 8th grade. It's all apart of the school family." Still grinning she says, "It's nice to meet you Kenmaru. How many other classes do you have with Kaiti since it's apparent that she already knows you?" "All of them," I say with a grin, "Weird huh?" A look of shock crosses the neko hanyou's face. "Wow really," she asks in shock. "Yep, he's right sis," Kaiti replies, "We have every single class together."

I hear Marrissa growl softly, and a few of the other youkai and hanyou look at her in fear. Apparently, no one messed with Kaiti without going through Marrissa. I growl in return to reassure her that I don't want to harm her best friend. "I don't want to hurt her," my growl says, "Right now she's one of my only new friends here." Marrissa grins at me and says, "Well now that you're here at Chapin and are friends with Kaiti, we need to fit you into the family some way." "Family," I ask slightly confused. "Yep," Kaiti says with a grin, "We have our own little school family. Me and Rissa are sisters, which makes her boyfriend, Darnell, my brother-in-law. Then Rissa has adopted a ton of younger kids as her children. My favorite is Sarah, who I love to call my niece. There's more to the family than that, but after a while it gets complicated." "Oh," I say still confused, "So how are you going to fit me in?" "You could be a pet," Rissa says with a knowing grin. "Aww come on sis," Kaiti replies, "Just make him like a friend of the family or something. Cody's our pet already." Marrissa sighs and says, "Yeah that's true," and then grins suddenly. "How about he can be the family body guard," she asks with a grin, "Or at least for you clumsy." Kaiti glares at Rissa with a look that says, "I'm so going to get you for this later." "Fine," she huffs when she realizes that Rissa won't budge. Nekos always get their way it seems. Then our teacher walks in and Rissa takes her seat behind Kaiti. The class begins.

(Kaiti's POV)  
I grumble to myself in my thoughts at how Rissa had treated Kenmaru. "It's almost as if she doesn't trust him," I grumble to myself, "Or she thinks that he's some sort of dog." While we sit at lunch, Kenmaru and Rissa seem to be having some sort of battle for dominance. What do they think they are, youkai? Kenmaru sits on my right and Rissa sits in her usual spot on my left. "Will you two please chill," I ask them with a huff, "I feel like WWIII is about to start and I'll be smack dab in the middle of it. Damnit, just knock off the whole staring contest you guys." "Aww," Rissa grumbles with a pout, "But it's fun! I like teasing him." "Why," I ask her with a glare, "Do you like him or something?" Both Rissa and Kenmaru glare at me. "Heck no sis," Rissa replies, "Just the opposite." "I haven't done anything to you," Kenmaru says while glaring at her, "Why don't you trust me?"

"Oh you two knock it off," I almost yell, "It's the first day of school, and already two of my friends are about at each other's throats! Thank god the stress of band practice isn't on my shoulders for today, or I would really get pissed off." Kenmaru grins at me and says, "Don't worry Kaiti. I think Rissa is just trying to protect you from me for some odd reason. But she's got nothing to worry about. I wouldn't ever intentionally hurt a friend. So you're in band?" "Used to be," I say with a sigh, "I played clarinet up until last year. But right now I'm on the colorguard team, which still makes me apart of the marching band." "I'm on the colorguard team too," Rissa tells him with a smile, "Kaiti convinced me to try out." "Cool," Kenmaru says, "So you two twirl flags together?" "Spin," I say quickly, "We spin our flags, not twirl." "Oh ok," Kenmaru replies with a grin, "Thanks for correcting my terminology." I giggle slightly and then glare at my sister, who is glaring at me for giggling. I can't help it if the boy's grin makes me want to melt into a puddle of goo. Damn, he's so hot! And he actually wants to hang with me and not any of those popular preppy, model wannabes! What more could a girl ask for huh? Even if two of my friends are already in a scuffle, I can tell that this year is going to be great.


	2. Friendship to Love

**Southern Love**

Chapter 2: Friendship to Love

[one year later]

(Kenmaru's POV)  
Damn, I can't believe it's already been a year since I first met the fiery, red-headed girl that now dominates my world. As I drive to school on the clear, sunny morning of the first day of senior year, I can't help but think about how fast the last year flew by. Even though she doesn't know it, ever since the day I first met her, Kaiti Shealy has had my heart. From the very moment I first smelled her sweet scent and gazed upon her beautiful face, she had me. The girl is the love of my life, and hopefully my future mate. I am determined that this year, I will tell Kaiti how I feel about her. Luckily her best friend and adopted sister, the neko hanyou known as Marrissa, finally trusts me and is very willing to help. Sure, me and Rissa didn't get along well at first, but when she realized how I felt about Kaiti, she became a really good friend and ally. Damn, if it wasn't for Rissa that mangy wolf youkai Blaze, the son of the infamous Kouga, would have already tried to claim Kaiti for his own mate and exposed her to the youkai and hanyou world. Thankfully though, Kaiti is still blissfully ignorant about the existence of youkai and hanyou. Damn, she doesn't even realize that most of her friends are all some form of youkai or hanyou. Instead, she lives a normal human life. And the irony of that is that Kaiti tells us all the time that she wished that the story from her favorite anime, Inuyasha (the story of my own parents' journey in feudal Japan), was actually real.

At the thought of my father, I feel my ears droop slightly. It was only a few days earlier that my dad didn't come home from work. When we went to go find him, all that we found was his car with a note taped to it. The note was addressed to my mom. "We have your precious mate, Miko," it read, "Don't try to find us, or else you will die along with him. If you do as you're told, your mate shall live." Ever since, my mom has been really depressed. Her only comfort besides me has been her mate mark, which connects her to Dad. Through it, she knows that he is still alive and has not been harmed yet. I sigh as I get out of my car. I have to get my emotions under control, or else I'll worry Kaiti. Damn, I hate it when I worry her. I shove all thoughts of my dad into the back of my head for the time being and then head to my first class. I smile when I walk in the door. Already sitting at a front row lab table is Kaiti. She smiles and waves me over, indicating the saved seat next to her. I smile and sit down next to her. Thanks to her, I can tell that my day is going to be great. Damn, I love her.

(Kaiti's POV)  
Damn, today was wonderful. The first day of senior year, and I already know that this year is going to be amazing. Something big is going to happen this year, I know it. Once again, just like last year, Kenmaru and I have every single class together. His presence comforts me and distracts me at the same time. Every heart melting smile that he throws my way makes me want to go weak at the knees and melt into a puddle of goo. Rissa tells me that I've been bitten bad by the love bug, and I can't help but agree with her. Ever since the day we met exactly one year ago, I just knew that Kenmaru was the boy for me. It amazed me at first that Kenmaru chose to be friends with me rather than hang around all of the popular kids, and it still does slightly. But now, I can't help but love feeling the looks of jealousy directed my way. All of those girls that teased me for years now want what I have, what they never had even thought that I would have. Sure, it's not official that Kenmaru and I are dating, but I hope that this year, all of that will change.

By the end of the school day, Kenmaru has never left my side once today. He even walked me to my car after school. His protectiveness tells me that he cares, and I can't help but love him more. Then, right before I got into my car, he gave me a good bye hug and told me that he'd text me later. I smile as I remember the feeling of his arms around me. It was wonderful. As I step out of my car and into the Crooked Creek Park parking lot, I continue to smile. Today has been so perfect so far. And, since my brother had football practice after school, I have some time to myself. Crooked Creek Park is the ultimate rec center in Chapin. It has some of the most beautiful walking trails, both paved and wooded. I lock the car and then head down the nearest trail, not even aware that someone was following me until I heard his evil laugh behind me. Someone had just followed me deep into the woods of the park, onto one of the more wooded trails in the area.

I turned around slowly to face my stalker. An ugly man that looks to be in his mid-thirties stands there looking at me with a savage grin. "What do you want sir," I ask him as calmly as I can, "I'm kind of in the middle of my afternoon walk here. And I'm about to go meet up with a friend." "Don't lie to me wench," Mr. Ugly sneers at me, "I can smell your lies. Now why don't you be a good wench and stay here with me. I'd like to have some fun playing with you." "Get away from me," I threaten, "Or I'll kick your ass you ugly perv." "That's something I'd love to see you try wench," Mr. Ugly says with a laugh, "Now come here." "No," I shout and turn to run. I know that I have to get away from him and get some help. Then I feel a hand grab my arm and tug hard. I cry out and whirl around, kicking the sick bastard in the balls. Jerking my arm away from him as he hisses in pain, I turn to run again and begin shouting for help. That's when I hear the roar. Looking over my shoulder, I see that Mr. Ugly had just gotten even uglier. Instead of a man standing behind me, now there was a feral looking bear demon. "Oh shit," I whisper when I realize that there is an actual flesh and blood demon behind me, "This isn't good."

The bear demon lets out a snarling laugh. "Get back here wench," it yells at me, "I'm not done with you yet." It begins coming towards me, an evil snarl on its face. I begin to run again, only to get tripped by a pesky tree root I hadn't seen in my way. I feel my ankle twist and scream. The bear demon laughs and says, "Oh I do love the sound of a wench in pain. You're going to make one lovely meal." All I can do is think, "Oh shit," and scream out, "Help! Someone help me please!" "No one can hear you wench," the demon growls, "Or at least, no one that cares anyway." Then suddenly, I hear a different growl coming from above me. "Get away from her you bastard," a familiar voice orders angrily, "Or I'll tear you limb from limb."

I look up above me in shock and see Kenmaru perched on a tree branch. "Kenmaru," I whisper in shock, "What are you doing here?" Kenmaru jumps down from the branch and lands in front of me. "Protecting you of course," he replies as he scowls at the bear demon. "Now get behind me and hold this," he orders as he pulls his necklace from around his neck and tosses it to me. "So," the bear demon growls, "you're the inu hanyou I smelt on her. Get out of my way you pathetic mutt, or I'll have to kill you too." I gasp at the bear demon's words and stare at Kenmaru in shock. When his hair suddenly turns pure silver with only a few jet black streaks remaining, I gasp again. After his hair changes, his fingernails lengthen into claws and two black dog ears appear on top of his head. I hear a low growl coming from Kenmaru's throat and I suddenly feel very safe. I know Kenmaru, and I know that he'll do anything to protect me. Kenmaru turns his head to look at me and smiles. "Don't worry Kaiti," he assures me, "I won't let this bastard touch you." I can only smile at him and nod as he turns back to the bear demon and launches his attack.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
When I see that my Kaiti is in danger, I can't help but growl instinctually. "Get away from her you bastard," I growl at the bear youkai, "Or I'll tear you limb from limb." I can tell that Kaiti is definitely surprised at my actions. I can also tell that she's very worried about me. Figures, since she still hasn't seen my hanyou form yet. When she asks me what I'm doing here I scowl at the bear youkai and say, "Protecting you of course. Now get behind me and hold this." I then take a hold of my cloaking charm necklace and pull it from around my neck and toss it to her. I hear her gasp when the baka youkai call me an inu hanyou, and then I hear her gasp again as I feel my normal claws, fangs, and ears return to me. I let out a low growl to reassure her that everything will be ok. When I feel her begin to calm, I turn my head to look at her and smile. "Don't worry Kaiti," I tell her, "I won't let this bastard touch you." I see her smile and nod before I turn back around to face the offending youkai in front of me. No one tries to hurt my Kaiti and gets away with it. Growling angrily, I attack.

As I race towards the bear youkai, I pull my now visible sword from its sheath. My dad had named it Kouensha, or Protector. Like his Tetsusaiga, my sword is a fang. But instead of it being forged from my grandfather's fang, it was forged from my dad's own fang. Leaping high into the air, I raise Kouensha above my head and slash down as I get closer to the bear youkai. "Sacred Blade," I growl as I slash at the bear, and a bright light gleams on the sword's blade. When my sword meets the youkai's skin, a burning smell feels the air before the youkai vanishes in a bright light. Nothing but a piles of ashes remains. I put Kouensha back in its sheath and turn back towards the girl I love. Kaiti smiles and I hear her whisper, "Thank goodness." I begin to walk back towards her. I know that I have a lot of explaining to do.

Seeing me coming towards her, Kaiti tries to stand, but winces at the pain in her ankle. Before she can fall back to the ground, I am by her side and catching her in my arms. "Hey take it easy," I order her gently, "We don't want you hurting that ankle even more." She smiles at me and whispers, "Thanks Kenmaru." Then a look of concern fills her eyes. "You're not hurt are you," she asks me worriedly. "Don't worry," I reassure her, "That bastard didn't even touch me." Kaiti sighs in relief and then looks at me and says, "You've got a lot of explaining to do Kenmaru." "I know," I say with a sigh, "Come on, let's go someplace where we can talk." "Ok," she says and then looks at me sheepishly, "But you might have to carry me. My ankle hurts like hell." "Don't worry," I tell her with a grin, "I got you covered. Just hold on to my necklace for me." "Ok," she says and then yelps when I suddenly begin running through the trees.

Finally I reach my private spot and jump up onto my favorite tree branch. I place Kaiti in my lap, careful of her hurt ankle. Kaiti opens her mouth to speak, but I silence her with a look. "Let me explain some things first," I says softly, "Then you can ask as many questions as you want." "Alright," she says with a sigh, "Go ahead." So I tell her. I tell her that youkai and hanyou are real and that the story of her favorite anime is completely true. I tell her who my parents are, which surprises her quite a bit. I even tell her about Rissa, Blaze and some of our other youkai and hanyou friends. When I finish, Kaiti just looks at me and says, "Somehow I always knew that youkai and hanyou existed. And you know how much I wanted to believe that the story about your parents was real, so I'm not surprised by that either." Then, she gets a classic Kaiti look on her face and I know that there is a but in there somewhere. "But," she says finally, "You didn't explain why you were there when the youkai attacked me."

Damn, I knew there was a but. I sigh and look into her eyes. In their beautiful blue depths, I see a small spark of hope. I also see her complete trust in me and also how much she cares about me, just in that one look. I wrap my arms around her and sigh again before speaking. "I followed you," I admitted to her softly, "Because I wanted to keep you safe. Ever since the day we first met, I knew that I had to protect you. I couldn't let anything ever harm you." "Why," she asks me softly. Taking a deep breath I ask, "Do you believe in love at first sight? Because I do." Kaiti gasps and looks at me, love shining in her eyes. "Of course I do," she whispers, "Ever since I met you, it's kinda hard not to believe in." I lean my head down and bring my lips close to hers. "Good," I whisper softly, "Because I love you." "I love you too," she whispers before I press my lips softly to hers. Sighing into our kiss, Kaiti wraps her arms around my neck. Softly, I reach up and cup her cheek with one hand, while the other hand stays wrapped around her waist. I run my tongue lightly against her lower lip, asking for permission to deepen the kiss. Sighing, she opens up to me, and my tongue slips in to taste. I want to taste every inch of her beautiful mouth. I want to memorize her tender lips, her sweet taste. Kissing her, I'm in heaven. Finally, we have to pull apart for air. I lean down and nuzzle her neck lovingly and inhale her sweet scent. She rests her head against my shoulder and sighs happily. Damn, I love this woman.


	3. A Father and Son Reunited, Kaiti Meets I

**Southern Love**

Chapter 3: A Father and Son Reunited, Kaiti Meets Inuyasha

(Kaiti's POV)  
After our amazing confessions of love and kiss in the park, Kenmaru has basically been glued to my side. He's not really a clingy boyfriend though, just a really protective one. Ever since he told me the truth about youkai and hanyou existing and we started dating, he been very protective of me. Especially since the whole youkai and hanyou population of our school now knows that I know. You can thank big mouth Blaze for that one. Dang, I would have thought that Marrissa would have been the one to spill. But, instead of the cat letting everything out of the bag, it was the wolf. It really didn't surprise me to learn that Blaze is actually the youngest son of Kouga and Ayame. I always knew that they would get together, and I also somehow always knew that any children that they would have would be annoying big mouths. And as of right now, that sums Blaze up in a nut shell. Rissa still hasn't forgiven him for spilling the beans. With the small charm that Kenmaru gave me a few days after we started dating, I can see her tail twitch back and forth angrily while she glares at Blaze. I also watch as Blaze's tail slumps between his legs every time he can't meet her glare. My sister is apparently one tough feline, and no one messes with her, even if she is a hanyou.

I also use Kenmaru's gift to watch him too. He notices most of the time, but when he doesn't seem to notice a look of sadness flashes across his face. After a week of watching him get these depressed looks on his face when he thinks I'm not looking, I can't stand it anymore. That day after school, he walks me to my car as usual. Before I get in however, I look at him and ask, "Ok Kenmaru what's wrong?" With a look of surprise on his face, Kenmaru asks, "What do you mean Kaiti?" "Don't give me the surprised, innocent 'there's nothing wrong' look Kenmaru," I say with a sigh, "I can tell that something is bothering you, so fess up. What's been on your mind this past week or so?" Kenmaru finally sighs and says, "I should have known you would have caught onto my feelings eventually. You always seem to know when something is wrong." "Tell me what the matter is Kenmaru," I whisper worriedly, "I don't like seeing you so depressed."

A sad look crosses Kenmaru's face and he whispers, "I'm sorry that I'm worrying you. It's just that. . . that my dad still hasn't come home yet." "What," I ask in shock, "What do you mean he's not come home?" With a sigh, Kenmaru answers, "He was kidnapped Kaiti. It happened just a few days before school started back. He didn't come home from work and we went to look for him. All that we found was his car and a note for my mom. It said that they had had kidnapped my dad and that we better not look for him, or else they'd kill him. All we know is that he is still alive somewhere." "Oh Kenmaru," I whisper, "I'm so sorry. I wish I could do something to help." "It's ok," he whispers back, "I just wish that this will all end soon. I hate seeing my mom so depressed." I lift my hand and cup his cheek while I look into his eyes. "Everything will be ok," I whisper softly, "If I know your dad well enough, I bet that right now he's fighting to come back." "Yeah," Kenmaru says with a sigh, "I bet you're right. He's still the same old stubborn, inu hanyou that you saw in the anime." "And still obsessed with ramen too I bet," I say with a grin. "You're right about that," Kenmaru says with a grin, "Mom always has some in the house." "I bet," I say with a laugh and then stiffen suddenly. Just a moment ago, I could have sworn that I felt something powerful brush past my mind.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
"Kaiti," I ask, suddenly worried, "What's wrong?" She looks at me with a shocked expression. "I could have just sworn that I felt something really powerful brush past me," she whispers in shock, "But it wasn't a bad feeling. It was like. . . like something or someone is calling me." What the hell is going on? Suddenly, I feel a familiar youki brush past me. "Dad," I whisper, "He's nearby. All of this time, he's been nearby." I look at Kaiti, and see a determined look in her eye. "Let's go get him Kenmaru," she says seriously, "He's calling us." I nod, knowing that I won't be able to convince her to let me go alone. She'd just worry herself to death and eventually try to come after me. "Hop on," I tell her, and she climbs onto my back, much like my mom used to do with my dad. We race off. All of the youkai and hanyou students watch us curiously, while the humans don't notice a thing. To them, we're just a sudden gust of wind that just went by. But the youkai and hanyou know that something is happening. They watch in silence.

The pull of my father's youki leads us into the woods on the outskirts of the school's property. It's not long before I can smell him and a barrier. When we reach the edge of the barrier, I set Kaiti down and lift my hand up to my necklace. Pulling it off, I hand it to her and she places it around her own neck for safe keeping. Once I feel my claws again, I raise my hand to the barrier and my claws glow with a bright light. Having a miko for a mom sure gives me the advantage of sacred powers along with my youki. The barrier comes down the instant my claws touch it. I look up, and there he is. My dad, Inuyasha, stands in front of me, his back against a tree. A smaller barrier surrounds him. It's one that won't allow him to grasp the Tetseigua in order for him to wield it and break free. "Keh," he says gruffly, "About time son." "Hello to you too Dad," I say with a grin. Kaiti stays where she is while I go to release my dad from the barrier. I can tell that she's a bit nervous at meeting my father. It really can't be helped though. He's a legend after all.

Just as I reach the barrier surrounding my dad, an unknown youki fills the clearing. My father's eyes go wide and he curses darkly. "Shit," he says and looks at me, "Kenmaru get out of here now! Take the girl and get to safety!" I nod and turn to help Kaiti escape, but am stopped by a barrier. "Shit," I curse angrily and look over towards Kaiti. Her eyes are wide with fear and she seems to be frozen in place. Feeling the youki getting closer, I can sense the evil in it. Scared for her safety, I turn to Kaiti and yell, "Run Kaiti! Get out of here now! My necklace will lead you to my house. Tell my mom what's happened. Now go!" "No," she whispers as tears fill her eyes, "Not without you. I'm not leaving you." "Go Kaiti," I yell desperately, "Now! I'll be fine as long as you're safe." Crying now, Kaiti turns to escape, but it's too late. The barrier is once again in place.

(Kaiti's POV)  
Kenmaru's dad, Inuyasha, curses just as I suddenly feel an evil power coming towards us. "Shit," he says and turns to Kenmaru, "Kenmaru get out of her now! Take the girl and get to safety!" Kenmaru nods and turns back towards me, fear in his eyes. But a barrier stops him. "Shit," he says angrily and then looks over at me. I can only look back fearfully, my body feeling frozen to the spot. I feel the strange, evil power come closer just as Kenmaru yells at me, "Run Kaiti! Get out of here now! My necklace will lead you to my house. Tell my mom what's happened. Now go!" "No," I can't help but whisper. Tears fill my eyes at the though of leaving him behind. "Not without you. I'm not leaving you," I tell him. I see the fear at his eyes as he yells at me again, "Go Kaiti! Now! I'll be fine as long as you're safe." I can't help but feel really scared now and start to cry in earnest. I turn to do as Kenmaru says, but there's another barrier in front of me. I'm trapped.

I hear an evil laugh sound out behind me. "How touching," the mocking voice of a man sneers, "It's seems your pup is just as protective of humans as you are Inuyasha. Especially this miko here." I turn around in surprise at the man's last statement. "What are you talking about," Kenmaru growls at the male youkai in front of him, "Kaiti isn't a miko." "On the contrary," the youkai laughs evilly, "She is quite a powerful miko. It's just that her powers have been sealed. The seal on her is so strong, that only the nose of a very strong full blooded youkai could scent her miko abilities." Inuyasha growls at the youkai and says, "Let the girl and my son go you bastard. They have nothing to do with this." "That's where you are wrong Inuyasha," the youkai says and looks at me, "We've been watching this girl for quite some time now. Before you even moved here actually. My master thirsts for her power. And as for your pup, well he is apart of your family and apparently is something very special to the girl here." He smiles ferally and continues, "As a matter of fact Inuyasha, one or two of my spies did over hear these two talking not too long ago. It seems that your pup killed the bear that we had sent to capture the girl, and then took her to where he thought they'd be alone so that he could explain what had just happened." He sneers suddenly and says, "If my spies were correct in their hearing, it seems that they both heard a certain hanyou pup and miko girl confessing their love for one another."

"Damn you," I hear Kenmaru growl at the male youkai, "So you're the one who sent that bear after her. What type of sick bastard are you to send a such a disgusting bastard of a youkai after a girl huh? First, he tried to attack her, but when she defended herself, decided to just eat her instead." "Oh I know," the youkai responds with a gleeful laugh, "I had hoped that the bear would have been able to have his way with her. The seal would have most definitely broken once she had been broken." Both Kenmaru and his father growl at the sick bastard in front of them. I can't help but shake in anger as my tears dry up and I get pissed off really quickly. "Hey you," I yell at the youkai in front of me, "Who in the hell are you to think that you can try to do something like that to me and get away with it huh?" I look at him and glare daggers, all of the rage inside of me about to burst. Surprised at my outburst, the youkai is speechless for a moment. "Oh shit," I hear Kenmaru say, "Now you've got her angry." The youkai laughs at Kenmaru's statement and asks, "What does it matter if she's angry now? She is still no threat to me." "Like hell I ain't," I scream at him. "First, you spy on me for God knows how long, then you kidnap Kenmaru's dad and send an ugly, feral, perverted bear after me, and now you've got both my boyfriend and his dad trapped against a tree by stupid barriers while you gloat over everything," I yell at the top of my lungs while pointing a finger at him. "All of that has got me really pissed off," I tell him angrily, "And the hell if I ain't a threat when you've got me pissed. Just ask Kenmaru."

(Kenmaru's POV)  
Damn, I've never seen her this pissed off before. I can sense all of the anger coming off of her in waves. This baka youkai had really pissed her off now. The fact that he's surprised by her anger tells me that he's not watched her as closely as he should have. If this youkai had been smart enough to spy on her properly, he would know that in school, we avoid getting Kaiti angry. All of the youkai and hanyou in our school are scared of her anger. Then, besides all of the anger rolling off of her, I also start to sense power begin to leak out of her. All of it is pure spiritual energy, and damn it's strong. "Hey Dad," I whisper, "Are you sensing what I'm sensing?" "Besides her anger you mean," he asks. "Yeah," I reply, "There's something else there." "It's her miko reiki," my dad replies, "Her anger is tearing at that seal quickly. Her body knows that she needs to protect herself and apparently wants to get some righteous revenge at the same time." "Damn," I reply, "He really has pissed her off that bad. This is the worst I've seen her angry." "If so," my dad replies, "You better be thankful we're behind these barriers. If her anger completely breaks the seal, that bastard is toast." I continue to watch as Kaiti keeps screaming at the youkai. The bastard is obviously quite shocked by her anger.

I start to feel another youki coming towards us, and it's a strong one. "Shit," my dad curses and growls, "Of course that bastard would be behind all of this." The youkai in front of us laughs and says, "Oh, so you feel my master approaching eh? I believe he's coming for the girl." Now it's my turn to growl. "Who in the hell is this master you're talking about," I ask angrily, "And who does he think he is to want to harm a innocent girl?" I feel the youki presence get suddenly stronger and hear an evil laugh. I look up to see a hanyou that I had thought was long dead. "Naraku," my father growls at him, "How in the hell are you alive you bastard? We killed you 500 years ago!" "Ah greetings Inuyasha," Naraku says mockingly, "Surprised to see me eh? I was surprised too when I suddenly woke one morning to find that I had been resurrected. It seems that I'm now like Kikyo was, but stronger. My soul had not been reincarnated like hers had." Then Naraku turns his ugly sneer on me and says, "Ah and this must be your pup. Kenmaru I believe? That is if my spies are correct." He then turns to face Kaiti, who has frozen in fear. I can still sense her anger, but at the sight of Naraku her fear completely paralyzed her. "Hello young miko," Naraku sneers, "Have you finally ran out of your tirade of words? You're a insolent wench to have the gall to yell at someone much stronger than yourself."

(Kaiti's POV)  
When Naraku shows up, I'm frozen in fear for about two minutes straight. But when he dares sneer at me and call me weak, my anger unthaws me. "Look who's talking you bastard," I say calmly, "You were killed five hundred years ago by Kenmaru's parents and yet you dare to try and talk tough in front of the man who killed you. How pathetic!" "Impudent wench," Naraku roars, "You shall suffer for those words!" I feel my anger get even stronger, and I swear that I feel something inside of me break. A rush of powerful energy races through me, and I can only grin confidently. "Says who," I ask with a smirk and hold a hand out in front of me, "You?" I feel my new found power rush through my body and into my hand. As I watch, a long, slender sliver staff forms in my hand. On both ends of the staff are sharp, curved blades that are surrounded in a light blue glow. Smiling, I grasp the staff in both hands and get into a fighting stance. "If you dare try to touch me," I threaten, "you better prepare to lose your arm."

While Naraku curses at me, calling me an idiot wench who's just asking for a painful death, I turn to look over at Kenmaru and Inuyasha. At Kenmaru's surprised, yet proud, grin, I smile. "Y'all might want to duck boys," I say with a grin, "It's time for those barriers to come down." Both of the inu hanyous grin and crouch down inside of the barriers. I lift my blade staff over my head and swing it in a slicing motion at the tops of the barriers. As I swing the staff, a larger wave of light blue light flies towards the barriers and promptly slices right through them. The barriers shatter and Naraku growls as Kenmaru and his dad leap to my side. They then both draw their swords as we turn to face the now very frustrated Naraku. "Curse you girl," he growls at me, "You and these mutts shall pay for your actions." "Keh," Inuyasha growls at Naraku, "You won't touch her. You'll be dead before you do." "We shall see," Naraku snarls and shoots his tentacles at us. Kenmaru and his father take care of most of them, but a few slip past them. "Kaiti," Kenmaru yells, "Watch out!" Seeing the tentacles coming towards me, I grasp my staff and swing with all of my might. Not a single disgusting appendage touches me. Instead, they all dissolve into ash in one sweep of my staff.

Looking shocked, Naraku starts cursing at us again. "Will you just shut up you bastard," Kenmaru yells at him, "You can't win." "Maybe not now," Naraku sneers in reply, "But soon, I will have the girl in my possession." Naraku starts to retreat and both of the inu hanyous standing next to me growl. With a swift look at one another, they both lift their swords and swing them at Naraku with all of their might. "Wind Scar," yells Inuyasha, while Kenmaru yells, "Sacred Blade!" Their attacks combine and shatter all of Naraku's body, except for his head. Smirking, Naraku begins to pull his body back together as he swiftly retreats. "I won't be that easily defeated," he snarls before he disappears. In his place remain hundreds of lower level youkai, who all roar at once and attack. Not wanting them to hurt Kenmaru and his father, I raise my staff and swing it towards them with one powerful stroke. Another large wave of light erupts from the staff and soars towards them, killing them all instantly.

As Kenmaru and his father turn towards me, I suddenly begin to feel very faint and dizzy. I feel my staff dissolve in my hand and my strength plummet as my knees give way. Before I hit the ground, Kenmaru rushes up to catch me in his arms. "Thanks Kenmaru," I whisper softly. "Kaiti," he whispers worriedly, "Are you ok?" "Yeah," I whisper back, "Just really tired. Are you ok?" "Yeah," he replies with a soft smile on his face, "Don't worry about me. You just rest now." "Ok," I whisper and close my eyes. With a sigh, I fall asleep and know no more.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
When I'm sure that Kaiti is fast asleep in my arms, I pick her up gently, cradling her against my chest. In her sleep, Kaiti murmurs my name and smiles. Her delicate hand grasps the cloth of my shirt while her head leans against my chest. "We need to get her to the house," my father says quietly as he approaches us, "Your mom will know how to help her gain her strength back." I nod and then he smiles suddenly. "So," he asks with a slightly evil grin, "Did that bastard servant youkai tell the truth when he said that you told her you love her?" I groan softly and blush, giving a small nod. My dad only smiles and laughs as I groan again. Of course my dad would remember that part of the youkai's ranting. "Let's get out of here already," I grumble and look down at the sleeping girl in my arms, "We need to get her to Mom." My dad just grins as he nods and we turn to leave the clearing. At Naraku's retreat, the barrier surrounding the clearing had broken and we were free to go. Now that he was back in the world, I knew that I would have to be on constant guard from now on. There was no way in the world I was going to let that bastard get his hands on her.


	4. A Miko Needs Protection

**Southern Love**

Chapter 4: A Miko Needs Protection 

(Kenmaru's POV)  
Just before we reach the edge to the woods surrounding the school, I reach down and gently remove my cloaking charm from Kaiti's neck. She stays peacefully asleep as I shift her slightly in my arms while returning the necklace to my own neck. Reaching into the pocket of his work pants, my father pulls out his own cloaking charm and does the same. Once we finally look like humans again, my dad and I nod at each other and continue towards the parking lot. As we step out of the woods, we're met by a worried neko hanyou and slightly miffed wolf youkai. Seeing Kaiti in my arms, Rissa goes ballistic. "What the hell happened," she screams at me, "What's wrong with my sister?" Sighing I say, "Calm down Rissa. She just overdid herself a bit. Now will you please be quite? She's asleep baka!" "Sister," I hear my dad ask in confusion. "It's a long story Dad," I tell him, "But lets just say that Rissa is almost more protective of Kaiti than I am." "Oh," Marrissa gasps when she hears me address my father, "Hello sir. It's nice to meet you. I'm Marrissa by the way." Dad looks at her and sniffs a little. "Neko hanyou," he asks her curiously. "Yep," Rissa replies, "My mom is a neko youkai."

Then turning to me, Rissa asks, "Ok so what the hell happened to you three? Spill Kenmaru! I have a right to know what the hell happened to my best friend. What happened after you two suddenly dashed out of the parking lot after school?" "It's a long story Rissa," I say with a sigh, "I'll tell you once we get to my house. There's something you guys need to know." "What the hell is it," Blaze growls at me, "Why can't you tell us now?" "Because Kaiti isn't awake yet," I growl at him, "And I'm not going to wake her up. She needs her rest." "Keh," Blaze replies, "Whatever." Looking over at my dad he says, "Good to see you again sir." "Same here Blaze," my father replies and then asks, "Can you call your parents for me? We need them to meet us at our house. If your dad asks why, just say 'Naraku' and he'll understand." With a nod of his head, Blaze reaches into his pocket and pulls out his cell. Once he dials, it's only a matter of seconds before my sensitive hearing picks up the sound of his father's voice. Once Blaze relays my father's message, I hear his dad curse and tell Blaze that they'll meet us there.

As we reach our cars, I throw my keys to my dad. "Here," I say, "You drive mine. I've got the keys to Kaiti's car. I'll drive hers. We can't leave it here." "Alright," my dad replies and unlocks the car, "You two just be careful." I nod and unlock Kaiti's car. Opening the passenger door, I gently set her in the seat and put her seat belt on her. She mumbles slightly in her sleep and merely lays her head back against the head rest. Closing the door quietly, I go around and climb into the driver's seat. My dad and the others pull out of the parking lot just as I crank the engine. Swiftly, I turn the music down and then pull out of the parking lot. The whole way home, I continue to make sure that Kaiti is still asleep. Once we arrive at my house, I quickly pull out her phone and text her mother. Pretending to be Kaiti, I text, "Hey Mom. I've got to work on a back to school project with Kenmaru and Marrissa. I'll be home as soon as I can." Satisfied that her parents won't worry about her, I cut the car off and climb out. Looking up, I smile when I see my parents hugging and Mom smiling happily. Still smiling, I go around to the passenger door and open it. After I gently unbuckle her seat belt, I lift Kaiti into my arms once more and lift her out of the car. Thankfully, she's still fast asleep.

(Kaiti's POV)  
I finally wake up in Kenmaru's arms. Opening my eyes sleepily, the first thing I notice is his arms around me. I sigh lightly and stretch some before looking up into his eyes. "Hey," he says gently, "You awake now?" "Yeah," I reply and yawn, "How long was I out for?" "Only about an hour or so," Kenmaru replies, "You ok?" "Yeah," I say and then look around. Noticing that I'm somewhere that I've never been before, I ask, "Where are we?" "My house," Kenmaru replies with a grin. "Really," I ask and try to sit up. I want to look around some more. But I feel a little dizzy again and almost fall out of Kenmaru's lap. "Hey take it easy," he orders gently, "You used up a lot of power fighting." "You can say that again," I hear a woman say, "I'm surprised you're up already dear."

Turning my head, I see a woman that looks a little older than Kenmaru. She has his jet black hair and a pair of chocolate brown eyes. "Hi," she says with a smile, "I'm Kenmaru's mom. But since I know you already know my first name, just call me Mrs. Kagome, or Kagome. I can't stand people calling me Mrs. Higurashi. That's my mom's title." "Hi," I say nervously, "It's nice to meet you. I'm Kaiti." "Oh I know who you are dear," Kagome replies, "Kenmaru talks about you often enough." Kenmaru and I both blush slightly and she laughs happily. "Well," she says finally, "I'm sure your friends will want to see you now that you're awake. Want to see them?" "Friends," I ask confused, "Who's here?" "Rissa and Blaze are here," Kenmaru replies with a grin, "And geez Kaiti, your sister hasn't stopped worrying about you yet. When they met up with us in the school parking lot, she yelled at me and demanded to know what in the hell I did to you." "Sounds like Rissa," I mutter with a sigh, "Go ahead and let her in. I better calm her down now, or I'll never hear the end of this." With a nod, Kenmaru's mom leaves the room, calling for Marrissa and Blaze. I know that now I only have a few seconds left alone with Kenmaru before I get bombarded, so I just sigh and lean against him. He smiles and kisses my hair, knowing exactly what is about to happen.

When Marrissa comes through the door, she just about barrels into me. Hugging me, she says, "Thank goodness you're finally awake sis! I was so worried!" Hugging her back I say, "It's ok sis. Everything's ok. Sorry that I worried you. I was just really tired." Pulling away from me slightly, Rissa says, "Well don't you ever exhaust yourself like this again sis. It scared me when I saw Kenmaru caring you out of the woods. If it wasn't for my ears hearing you breathing, I would have thought you were dead." "I'm so sorry sis," I whisper, "I didn't mean to scare you that badly." "I know you didn't," she says with a smile, "Are you sure you're ok?" "Yes I'm sure," I reply, "I'll just have to take it easy for a while. Or at least until I stop feeling dizzy." "If you're still dizzy," Kenmaru says worriedly, "You need to lie back down and rest." "Oh don't worry," I tell him, "I'll be just fine." "Keh," Blaze scoffs in disbelief, "As if. Do like Kenmaru says and lay your butt down."

Marrissa and I exchange glances at Blaze's statement. "He actually agreed with Kenmaru," I say in surprise. "I know," Marrissa says in awe, "Who is he and where is the real Blaze?" "Hey," Blaze complains loudly, "What do you mean by that?" Rissa and I look at each other and burst out laughing. "Oh my god," I laugh out loud, "Did you see the look on his face when he said that? He looked like Robert!" "Yeah," Rissa agrees while laughing, "It did look like his goldfish swam up his butt and died." At that, the two of us can't help but burst out in laughter, leaving the boys feeling very confused. Seeing their expressions, I calm myself down a bit and smile at them. "Sorry," I say still giggling lightly, "An old inside joke. You had to be there."

"Hey what's so funny," I hear someone ask from the doorway. I look up and see Kenmaru's parents, as well as another couple. Still laughing, Marrissa says, "Oh it was hilarious. Blaze actually agreed with Kenmaru for once. Then me and Kaiti were joking about it and the look he got on his face was priceless. It reminded us of an old joke we made up in middle school." "Hey weren't you the mastermind of that joke," I ask her teasingly. "Yep," she says with a grin, "It had to be me. Remember I used to draw the dead goldfish on every note we wrote to each other?" At the confused looks on the faces of the adults, I can't help but smile apologetically. "Sorry," I say with a laugh, "You would have had to be there when we made up the joke to understand what we're talking about. We were crazy in middle school." "Still are," Marrissa says jokingly. "Well now that you're finally awake," Inuyasha says suddenly serious, "It's time we explain what happened this afternoon." "Right," I agree with a nod, "Even though I don't understand some of what happened myself." "We'll be able to explain a good bit of that hopefully," Kenmaru assures me, and I sigh and nod in agreement. Then I sit up, and begin to tell everyone what happened, starting with the sudden feeling I had in the school parking lot.

While I tell my story, Kenmaru and Inuyasha help me where I get confused. After everything has been explained, I sigh and say, "I just don't understand how my powers came to be sealed, or how Naraku found out about them." "Your miko reiki must have been sealed when you were very young," Kouga says finally. He and Ayame had introduced themselves just before I began my story. "There's just no other way it could have happened without your knowledge," he says. "That's what I think too," Kagome says with a sigh, "I just am not sure how on Earth Naraku found out about your powers and the seal." "Keh," Inuyasha growls, "Knowing Naraku, he probably sent out as many spies as he could to find out about any source of power around. Now that the Sacred Jewel is gone, he doesn't have any way to make himself more powerful." "I think you're right about that," I whisper, "Which means that he probably knows were I live, who my family is, who all of my friends are. If he's been watching me ever since my powers were sealed, then he probably knows everything about me."

"Damn it," Kenmaru growls, "That's probably how he knew to send that bear youkai after you that day in the park. And how he knew who I was. He probably has someone watching you as much as possible." "In that case," Marrissa growls, "We need to make sure that one of us is with her every second of every day. If he knows where you are all the time, he'll probably try to attack you when you're alone." "You're right," I say with a sigh, "But how are we going to make sure that my family and I are safe at home? He might try to attack us when we're all asleep." "Like hell I'm going to let that happen," Kenmaru growls, "If I have to, I'll stand guard at your house every night in order to keep that bastard away from you."

(Kenmaru's POV)  
Kaiti sighs after I tell her that I'd protect her. "What's the matter," I ask worriedly. "My parents," she says with a sigh, "They know that we're dating, but they don't know anything about you being an inu hanyou. Hell, I don't even think they know about my miko powers. We'll have to tell them." Crap, I had forgotten about her parents. Kaiti sighs again and says, "And I'm afraid that once they find out about you and your family, they'll go ballistic. They probably won't allow for me to see you anymore and might even force me to transfer schools or something." Looking into my eyes, she says, "I'm scared Kenmaru. I don't want them to try and break us apart." When Marrissa suddenly sighs, all eyes turn to look on her. "Oh Kaiti," she says wearily, "Don't you know that your mom and dad already know how you feel about Kenmaru? I know your parents, and I'm sure that once they realize that everything that we're doing is for your own protection and that we're not all completely insane, we'll be fine." "Thanks sis," Kaiti says with a small smile, "You're probably right." "That's what I'm here for," Rissa say with a grin, "You know I've always got your back girl." "I know," Kaiti says, "And that's why you're the best sis I could ever ask for." Marrissa and Kaiti hug each other happily and I can't help but grin.

"Well," I say with a smile, "We might as well go and get this over with. It has to be done sooner or later. So who all's going besides me and Kaiti?" "Definitely me," Rissa says immediately, "Kaiti's parents know that I would never do anything to hurt Kaiti. They trust me." "We'll go too," my dad says from his position against the wall. "Your mom and I want to be able to make Kaiti's parents understand that we only have her best interests in mind. If they know that there's at least some form of adult protection, it might help them." "Ok," I say with a nod. Then looking at my parents, I say, "And I think that if her parents agree to the over night protection, I'll go ahead and start tonight. The sooner, the better." "Agreed," my dad says calmly, "In that case, go on upstairs and grab some clothes and stuff. You'll need them if you're determined to protect Kaiti every single night." "Right," I agree and gently ease Kaiti off my lap, "I'll be right back."

After I go upstairs and pack one of my overnight bags full of clothes and other things that I'll need, I race back down stairs to help Kaiti out to her car. Once again, I drive while she is in the passenger seat. My mom and dad follow behind us in Dad's car, and behind them is Marrissa in her car. On our way, Kaiti calls her parents and tells them that we're on our way and that we've got a lot to talk to them about. When she hangs up the phone, she sighs and says, "Now they're a bit worried and suspicious. I just hope this goes well." "Don't worry," I say gently, "We'll get through this." She then smiles at me and says, "Thanks Kenmaru. I needed to hear that." With a sigh, she sits back and listens to music the rest of the way. When we arrive at her house, I'm not surprised when I see her dad sitting on the front porch. His expression is wary, and I know that we'll have to tread lightly before revealing the big secret. Damn, this might be tough.

When I get out of the car, I go around to help Kaiti out, but she refuses to be carried. Instead, I'm forced to walk behind her, ready in case she gets dizzy and falls. Her father watches us as we head up the walk way, his face betraying his suspicions. He looks up in surprise when my parents arrive and park beside me, with Marrissa not too far behind them. "Kaiti," he asks warily, "What's going on sweetie? What happened? And who are these people?" With a sigh, Kaiti replies, "We'll explain once we get inside Daddy. It's a bit of a long story. And don't worry, these are Kenmaru's parents. Of course, you know Kenmaru and Marrissa already." "Your parents," her father asks curiously while looking at me, "Why are they here?" "We'll explain inside sir," I answer. "You'll want to sit down for this." Kaiti's father nods and then we head on inside, my parents and Marrissa following right behind us.

Once we enter the house, Kaiti's small dog, a boxer named Rocky, starts his usual hysterical fit at the sight of me. I can tell that the pup trusts me, so I don't mind that he starts circling me while wagging his tail. Reaching down, I give him the usual scratch behind the ears. Finally finished greeting me, the pup turns to Kaiti and sits in front of her, tail wagging a mile a minute. "Hey buddy," she coos and gives him a loving scratch, "Haven't seen me all day huh?" The dog just sits there and continues to wag his tail. Once my parents enter however, he begins to go hysterical again. With a small sigh, Kaiti says, "Stop that Rocky. Now get in your pen and calm down." Looking at her for a minute, the dog finally stops and goes to his pen. It is a rather roomy one, which contains a soft looking bed. After he lays down on the bed, Kaiti leans over and locks him in. Turning to my parents, she says, "Sorry about that. I don't want him jumping all over you while we're talking. He gets excited easily." "Don't worry about it," my father says with a grin, "The pup was just being friendly. He seems to like making friends." "You've got that right," Kaiti says with a grin and then gestures towards the living room, "Well why don't we sit down? This is going to take a while."

(Kaiti's POV)  
Once we're all finally seated, my parents immediately jump on me. "Where have you been young lady," my father demands, "And what happened to you?" "I'll tell you Daddy," I reply calmly, "But first I have a question to ask." Placing a calming hand on Dad's shoulder, my mom looks at me and asks, "What do you need to ask us sweetie?" I take a deep breath and reply, "Before today, did either of you know anything about me having spiritual powers and a seal that was put on them?" My parents glance at each other, and my father sighs. "We should have known that you would find out about this," he says, "We were planning to tell you on your 18th birthday. That's the day the seal is supposed to break." "Was supposed to break," I correct him, "It broke today." "What," my mother asks in shock, "How did this happen? And how did you find out about the seal?" "I broke the seal on my own Mom," I reply, "And the reason I found out about it in the first place was because a half-demon named Naraku knew. Apparently he's known for quite some time now. He told me about the seal, while insulting me at the same time." "What do you mean half-demon," my father asks fearfully, "Don't tell me that old priest was right and that they actually exist."

I can't help but give my dad a small, sad smile when he says this. "They do exist Daddy," I say calmly, "But they're not all that bad. You know a few actually." My parents look at me questioningly and I turn to Kenmaru. "Go ahead," I whisper, "They need to know." Looking over at Inuyasha and Rissa, I say, "You two as well. Might as well get this part over with." With a grin, Marrissa grasps her cloaking charm and yanks it off. Following suit, Kenmaru and his father calmly grasp their charms and pull them over their heads. I watch as all three of them begin to gain back their demonic qualities. Kenmaru's hair turns mostly silver, while his father's changes completely into a long mane of silver. Marrissa's hair turns the color of pure gold, with light tawny, brown streaks running through it. At the exact same time, all three of them regain their normal demon ears, claws, and fangs. The last thing to change is their eyes. Kenmaru's and Inuyasha's turn completely golden, while Marrissa's eyes suddenly begin to sparkle in an emerald green. As both of the inu hanyous finish their transformations, Rissa's continues. Small whiskers suddenly grace her cheeks and a long golden, brown tail appears. Silence fills the room.

My parent's can only stare in shock at the three half-demons before them. Sighing, I look up at them and smile weakly. Finally my father seems to regain some composure and asks, "So you mean to tell me that Marrissa, Kenmaru, and his father are all demons?" "Yeah," I reply, "Even though technically, they're half-demons. Marrissa is half cat demon, and Kenmaru and his dad are half dog demon." Looking back and forth between the three half-demons, my mom finally seems to notice something. "Wait," she says suddenly and turns to Inuyasha, "If you're Kenmaru's father, then why do you two look the same age?" "Anyone with youkai blood ages very slowly," Inuyasha answers calmly, "It takes about 18 to 20 years for us to reach adulthood, but from there we're basically immortal. We can be killed, but besides that, we never get sick and I've never heard of any youkai who died of old age." Nodding slightly, my mom then turns to Kenmaru's mother. "You're human right," she asks hesitantly. At Kagome's nod, my mother continues, "Then why do you look so young as well?" "That's one of the perks of becoming a youkai's mate," Kagome replies with a grin, "When Inuyasha and I married, my life span was increased to equal his." My parents sit there stunned, but then my father's eyes open wide in recognition. "Wait a minute," he says and turns to Kenmaru's father, "Your name sounds very familiar. Almost like I've heard it somewhere before."

I can't help but laugh at the look on my dad's face. Suddenly scowling, he asks me, "What's so funny young lady?" Calming down slightly, I say, "That's because you have heard it before Dad." At his confused look, I ask, "Do you remember that anime show that I started watching in 10th grade?" At my father's silent nod, I continue, "Well that anime is called Inuyasha. It's a true story, and the main characters are standing right over there." I gesture over at Kenmaru's parents as I say this. Completely stunned now, my parents just stare at me for a few moments. Then they seem to recover and my mom suddenly says, "Ok, so demons and half-demons do exists. But this doesn't explain what happened to you today. Why are you so tired honey?" "Well," I say hesitantly, "I better start from the beginning." So I tell them. I tell my parents about how Kenmaru saved me from the bear youkai and how I found out about demons and half-demons. I tell them about what happened after school today and why the seal was broken. I simply tell them everything. When I'm done, complete silence fills the room as all eyes look at my very stunned parents.

My father is the first to recover. "So, this means that you're in danger," he asks quietly. At the nod of my head, he sighs. "What are we going to do then," he asks, "If this Naraku is as evil as you say, he won't stop until he gets his way. We can't let that happen." "We won't let that happen," Kenmaru says fiercely, "No way is that bastard going to get his hands on Kaiti. I'll do everything I can to make sure of that." "So will I," Inuyasha says seriously, "I know what Naraku is like. he ruins lives in order to meet his own twisted needs. I've already killed him once, and I'm more than willing to do it again." "I'll help too," Kagome says calmly, "Kaiti will need to be trained in how to use her reiki, and I'm the only one around here that can do it." "No one tries to hurt my sis and gets away with it," Rissa growls angrily, "You don't even need to ask me to help, I volunteer." "You'd really go to all this trouble for our daughter," my mom asks them tearfully. "Of course," Kagome answers, "I'll protect anyone that is special to one of my children. I know that my son will stop at nothing to protect Kaiti, and I'm not going to sit back and let him face this on his own." Inuyasha growls lowly and says, "No one messes with a pup of mine and gets away with it. Besides, that bastard deserves to go back to Hell." "Thank you," my mother says tearfully, "Thank you so much." "You're welcome," Kagome tells her gently, "Now we need to make sure you're ok with the safety measures we'll be taking." "Whatever it is that you need to do," my dad says calmly, "I'll allow it. My daughter's safety comes first as of this moment."

About an hour later, Kenmaru's parents leave to go tell the others our plans. My parents both agreed to allow for Kenmaru to stay with me at night in order to protect me, and also agreed to allow at least one person to guard the perimeter of the house. After calling her mom and explaining what was going on, Marrissa rushed home quickly to grab some clothes. She would be the one to do the night's perimeter watch. When she returns, we have all have a small supper together and then get ready for bed. While I'm in the shower, Kenmaru and Marrissa both change into comfortable sweats for the evening. Once she's sure that I'll be alright for the night, Marrissa tells us good night and quickly heads outside to her post in the tallest tree in the yard. Nothing would get past her vigilant eye that I was sure of. My parents opted to go to bed early and were soon fast asleep. Kenmaru and I were the only ones still awake. Around ten o'clock, I finally yawn loudly one last time before Kenmaru makes me crawl under my bedcovers. When he's satisfied that I'm comfortable, he gives me a tender kiss on the lips before sighing and taking his post leaning against my bed. "Get some sleep koi," he says gently, "I'll protect you." "I know you will," I whisper sleepily, "I love you Kenmaru." The last thing I hear is him whispering, "I love you too koishii." Then I fall asleep.


	5. Loss of A Loved One

**Southern Love**

Chapter 5: Loss of a Loved One

(Kenmaru's POV)  
Damn, it's only been a few months since Naraku's return, and still he hasn't reared his ugly head. It's December now, and marching band season is finally over. Thank Kami for that! It was difficult trying to protect Kaiti while having to watch her move in and out of all of those other people, spinning and tossing her flags, rifle, and saber as she went. But it was worth it I guess. The smile on my koishii's face when they announced that the band had won State was absolutely beautiful. And as the colorguard captain, the best colorguard awards that they had received at every competition meant a lot to her. Her pride in her team made her seem even more lovely to me, if that's at all possible. I already think that she's the most beautiful thing in the world. Oh well, at least now we have a break before they start winterguard training. But I'm still wary. Ever since that first battle in the woods, Naraku has not once shown himself. Sure, he's sent a few pesky demons after us, but they were all way too easy to handle. We no longer saw that bastard youkai servant of his either. Apparently Kaiti's spiritual powers had destroyed him during that battle. It doesn't matter to me though, I just want to keep my Kaiti safe from that bastard that still lurks out there, waiting to strike.

Speaking of the past few months, we now have some new additions to our Naraku fighting team. My parents had called in some of my siblings for reinforcements. My older brothers, Tashio and Kiba, had both finally arrived. They had each brought their mates with them as well. As it turned out, Kaiti knew both of the newly arrived females. Marrissa did as well. Emmy and Jenna, one being a lithe and graceful panther youkai and the other being a petite kitsune youkai, had both apparently graduated from Chapin High two years ago. Kaiti was overjoyed when she first saw them. Apparently it was Emmy and Jenna who had fueled Kaiti's love for anime. When my brothers realized that not only was Kaiti special to me, but also to their mates, it wasn't even a question as to if they were going to stay. They would protect anyone who was important to their mates. When I realized that my sister-in-laws were some of Kaiti's old friends, I knew that I would end up liking them just fine. Thanks to these new additions to our now growing pack of protectors, I have been able to feel more at ease when I stand guard over Kaiti at night. Now, I mostly just watch her sleep peacefully, and comfort hurt after each occasional nightmare. Every time I comfort her, I can't help but growl softly to myself, cursing the bastard who was causing them. Sure, Naraku may not have shown up in a while, but Kaiti still worries about her family's safety. That's just the type of kind hearted person she is. She's always worries about others before she worries about herself.

While holding Kaiti after a particularly gruesome nightmare, I can't help but worry as she continues to sob quietly into my chest. Usually, it takes me only about five or ten minutes to calm her done after one of her nightmares. Tonight, it had already been fifteen minutes since she had woken up screaming. I bury my nose into her beautiful fiery hair and whisper quietly, "Koishii what's wrong? Why are you so upset?" Hiccupping slightly, she replies, "I'm scared Kenmaru. The. . . the dream was horrible! In it Naraku, he. . . he took you. . . he took you away from me. It felt so real! I thought. . . I thought I wasn't going to see you again." She begins to sob again and I pull her closer to me, kissing her forehead tenderly before whispering, "Don't cry koi. I won't leave you. And if that bastard even tries to separate us, I'll fight him. I'll never let him or anyone else separate us, not without a fight. I love you Kaiti." At my heartfelt words, Kaiti's sobs finally fade away and she continues to clutch me close as she whispers, "I love you too Kenmaru," before finally falling asleep once again. Not wanting to wake her, I just sit there and continue to hold her close to me. For some reason, her dream worried me greatly and I needed to hold her close to me. My ears twitch slightly at the sound of familiar footsteps approaching. Opening Kaiti's bedroom door slightly, my father peaks his head in and asks, "Is she alright now? Sounded like this one was the worst in a while." "Yeah, she's fine," I reply quietly, "But I'm worried about this dream that she had. I have a bad feeling about it." "I do too," he says quietly and looks at the sleeping girl in my arms, "We'll need to be on guard now more than ever. He's lurking out there. I can sense him. He's planning something." "Yeah," I whisper in reply, "And I have a feeling it has something to do with me."

(Kaiti's POV)  
I wake up to find Kenmaru's arms still wrapped around me from comforting me last night. I had woken up yet again, screaming from shock and fear, because of another blasted nightmare. And dang it, that nightmare had been down right scary too. I shudder slightly at the memory of that horrible dream. I feel Kenmaru's arms pull me even closer to him as he asks, "Are you still worried about your dream koi?" I nod, and can't help but smile slightly at his endearment. I had read enough fanfiction over the years to know what words like 'koi' and 'koishii' meant. Still smiling slightly, I reply, "Yeah a little. But I know that I'll be fine with you here to protect me." Then I frown slightly as I say, "But I still can't shake this feeling that something bad is about to happen. He's planning something, I can feel it." Kenmaru lowers his head to place a small, loving kiss on my forehead. "I know," he says with a sigh, "I feel it too. And so do Dad and the others. He's out there alright. He's bidding his time, waiting for something. But he won't get away with whatever he's planning. I won't let him." "I know you won't," I reply and smile up at him before saying, "Now I need you to exit the room. I have to get dressed at some point you know." Reluctantly, he pulls away from me and finally climbs off my bed. Before heading to the door, he gives me one last, chaste kiss before exiting into the hallway. Thank God that today was Saturday and also the first day of Christmas break. I doubt I would have been able to go through school today with all of these new worries swirling around my head.

When I finish getting dressed, I open my bedroom door to find Kenmaru in his usual position against the wall across from my room. He's already changed and ready for whatever the day brings. He smiles when I walk out of my room and comes over to wrap his arms around me tightly. He nuzzles my neck and I sigh happily. "Ready for some breakfast," he asks gently. "Yeah," I reply and reluctantly pull myself out of his arms. Giving him a quick kiss, I turn and begin to walk down the stairs, knowing that he's following closely behind me. When we turn into the kitchen, I see Kenmaru's father along with my own family. I smile and greet everyone with a cheery, "Good morning," before going into the pantry to search for something to eat. I finally decide on some chocolate chip Poptarts and grab some ramen for Kenmaru. Just like his father, my hanyou loves his ramen. He'll eat it for every meal if I let him. As I exit the pantry, I look over at Kenmaru, who is now leaning against the kitchen wall. He smiles widely at the sight of his favorite meal and I can't help but smile back. Deciding to take care of him this morning instead of him taking care of me, I fix his breakfast first and hand it to him before sticking my own breakfast in the microwave. Once I sit down to eat, my mom finally breaks the temporary silence to ask, "Did you have another nightmare last night sweetie? Or am I imagining that I heard screaming last night?" I wince slightly and reply, "Yeah I did. But I'm ok now. Once I calmed down, I realized it was just a dream and went back to sleep." My mom looks at me suspiciously. The look she is giving me is her characteristic, "I don't believe you," look, and I know that she doubts that I've gotten over it. Finally, she just sighs and goes back to her breakfast.

The rest of our morning is somewhat normal. We go about our everyday activities, but I can tell that Kenmaru and his father are just as uneasy as I am. The feeling in the air was just too strong to ignore. Something bad was going to happen today, we could just feel it. A little after lunch time, Kenmaru's mother and Kenmaru's sister-in-law, my friend Emmy, come over to help me train my miko abilities. We practice for hours before they finally tell me to relax. Thankfully, I'm not near as tired as I used to be after these long sessions of spiritual training. A few months ago, I would have gone straight to sleep right then and there. I wouldn't wake up until the next morning, when I would find myself in my own bed thanks to Kenmaru's tender care. I'm so much stronger now than I was before, and I can tell that Kenmaru is proud of my achievements. At each new accomplishment, I notice that he can't help but smile at seeing me learn more and more about my abilities. Not long after our training session, Marrissa and Blaze also arrive. I can tell that the strange feeling in the air has also got them on their guard. Rissa's ears never stop moving as they try to catch any sound that might alert her to danger.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
It isn't until right before dinner that we sense him. Naraku's disgustingly evil aura creeps towards us in small waves, letting us know that the bastard in nearby. I can't help but let a low growl escape my lips. I can already tell that everyone else is also getting angry at his gall. How dare he come now, when Kaiti's entire family is home! Her parents and brother look at us all with fear in their eyes. They know that only one person could cause our anger. I look towards my family and friends, seeing them all agree with what I had in mind. "Stay here," I tell Kaiti before she can even protest about being left behind. "No," she replies calmly, "I've told you before, I'm not letting you do this alone. Don't you dare try to leave me in here when you're going to be in danger." I look into her eyes and sigh, knowing that she'll not listen to my pleas. She is determined not to leave my side, especially now due to her dream from the night before. "Fine," I can't help but sigh, "But don't you dare try anything reckless." I see Rissa and Blaze about to protest her coming, but I silence them with a glare. Looking at my parents, they just nod, knowing that Kaiti would not let us go without her. So with one final sigh, I rise and pull Kaiti with me, knowing that we are about to face something very evil.

As we wait in the small clearing that lays between Kaiti's house and the woods surrounding the property, I can't help but feel uneasy. The bastard was taking his sweet time. Trying to count our numbers no doubt. Naraku's presence finally begins to feel very close when his usual hoards of demons attack us head on. With one swipe from the Tetseigua, my father destroys them all in an instant while looking quite bored. Then Naraku's deadly miasma begins to seep into the clearing from the woods. Kaiti and my mom exchange a look before each throwing up their hands and sending a single wave of purifying energy towards the oncoming miasma. It dissolves into nothing just as Naraku himself makes his entrance. "I see that you are in no mood to play today," he sneers, "And here I thought that this would be entertaining." "Oh shut up and get on with it you bastard," I growl angrily, "Now why are you here? You don't stand a chance." "My, my," the bastard chuckles cruelly, "It seems that the pup has got quite a bark, just like his father." He then turns and looks at Kaiti with a knowing evil grin on his lips. "As to why I'm here," he says evilly, "I'm sure that the young miko here could tell you. After all, I did send her that nightmare last night."

(Kaiti's POV)  
"No," I whisper fearfully, "No. It can't be. No." I look over at Kenmaru, and feel tears begin to come my eyes. "He wants to take you away," I whisper, "Just like he did in my dream." Realizing what I meant, Kenmaru's eyes filled with anger and he growled at Naraku. "I won't let that happen," he growls angrily, "You'd be stupid to even try. You're out numbered you bastard." The rest of my hanyou and youkai protectors, even Kenmaru's mother, all growl in agreement. Naraku only laughs cruelly and says, "Oh but I've already won this fight. I've go you right where I want you." He laughs again and suddenly I feel a shift in the position of his aura. Looking up in realization, I scream, "Kenmaru look out! That's not really him in front of us. He's above us!" "What a clever wench," I hear Naraku remark mockingly before he strikes. His many tentacles shoot down from the sky and straight towards Kenmaru. Kenmaru goes to dodge, but there are too many to avoid. When his parents and the others try to reach him, they are knocked back by a barrier that Naraku had secretly created. Inside of the barrier were only me, Kenmaru, and Naraku. "NO," I scream, "Kenmaru!"

The tentacles wrap around him before he can even draw his sword, which left him with only his claws and fangs. I can only watch as Kenmaru tries to free himself, but there were just too many tentacles. As Naraku begins to pull his tentacles in, Kenmaru begins to rise into the air. In desperation, I rush forward and grab Kenmaru's hand. "I won't let him take you," I cry desperately and continue to hold on. Looking at me sadly, my Kenmaru says, "Kaiti, let go. I need you to be safe." "NO," I scream, "I'm not letting him take you!" "Let go Kaiti," he says more forcibly, "I'll come back, just like I promised. Now let go." He pries my hand away from his and I fall back to the ground, screaming his name. "I love you koishii," he whispers before Naraku finally pulls him away and they disappear. "NO," I scream while sobbing uncontrollably, "KENMARU! COME BACK! KENMARU!" I barely register the fact that the barrier separating me from the others is now gone. As I continue to sob, I feel my knees give way and I sink to the ground. Faintly, I hear Inuyasha's cry of, "Damn that bastard! He's not going to get away with this," and Kagome's soft sobs. Knowing that they also feel my pain, I can't help but sob louder. 'It's all my fault,' I think sadly, 'If it wasn't for me, Kenmaru would still be here with us.' That is when I feel my sister's arms wrap around me, trying her best to console me, even though my heart had just been ripped out of my chest. "He took him sis," I sob, "That bastard took my koishii away!" "He'll come back sis," Rissa says soothingly, "Kenmaru is a fighter. He'll come back." I only sob louder, the sound of his name cutting me like a knife. I just knew that when I saw Kenmaru again, I wouldn't like what I saw.


	6. Power in a Kiss

**Southern Love**

Chapter 6: Power in a Kiss 

(Kenmaru's POV)  
I awoke in a dark room. I could feel chains against my hands and feet. I was bound to the wall, and across from me was a table and a mirror. On the table, there were many instruments of torture and pain. Knowing Naraku, he would use every one on me eventually, unless I escaped. The mirror was large and covered the whole opposite wall. The frame that held it was lavish and sinister. The terrible designs that were engraved in it gleamed darkly in the only source of light, which was quite dim. Even though the whole place reeked of Naraku's foul stench, I could still sense that he was near. "Show yourself you bastard," I demand with a growl, "I know you're here somewhere. Stop hiding like the coward you are!" Then I heard a dark chuckle as a door to my left opened and Naraku entered the room. "Ahh, so you are awake you mangy pup," he sneers mockingly, "Good. I did not wish for you to miss the show." "What 'show' bastard," I ask angrily, "There ain't anyone here but us." "See for yourself," Naraku laughs evilly and turns to the mirror. "Show me the young miko," he commands quietly, laughter in his voice.

My head snaps up as the sound of grief filled whimpers reach my ears. Instead of its usual clear surface, the mirror now showed an image of Kaiti's bedroom in its depths. My koishii lie on the bed asleep. She whimpers more in her sleep and small tears stream down her cheeks. I can only watch, horrified, as she begins to cry out, "No! Don't take him! Please! No!" Kaiti then starts to thrash about in her sleep, the tears on her cheeks now a steady stream. "No," she cries out in her sleep, "No, no, NO! KENMARU!" She wakes up screaming my name, and I can't help but feel a small tear fall down my cheek. In the mirror, I see Marrissa rush into the room and pull Kaiti into her arms. "Shh sis," Rissa whispers softly, "It's ok. Shh." "It's not ok," my koi sobs broken heartedly, "He's not here sis! My Kenmaru, my koishii is gone! That bastard took him from me and is probably hurting him!" Rissa continues to hold Kaiti close as she whispers, "Don't worry sis. Kenmaru is a fighter. He'll come back, he promised. Kenmaru never breaks a promise." "I know," Kaiti whispers softly, tears still streaming down her face, "But it hurts sis. My heart feels like it has been shattered and wrenched out of my chest. I miss him Rissa."

Naraku's cold laughter begins to fill the room as the image of Kaiti's room dissolves, leaving the mirror blank. Anger fills me and I begin to growl menacingly. "You bastard," I growl angrily, "Once I break out of these chains, you're dead. I'll kill you for hurting her like that." Naraku only laughs evilly and says, "You won't be able to kill me half-breed. You're weak, even at your most powerful, compared to me. And as for the girl's pain, all is going according to plan." "YOU BASTARD," I yell furiously, "You planned all of this!" "Yes," he says cruelly, "For once her heart is truly broken and she no longer desires to live, her powers will be mine. She made a mistake, unlike her previous incarnation, and fell in love before her powers truly emerged. But soon, I will once again control the powers of the Shikon Jewel." "What are you talking about Naraku," I growl angrily, "The jewel was destroyed over 500 years ago." "Yes," Naraku says evilly, "And the soul of the miko Midoriko was once again free to enter the Cycle of Life to be reincarnated. Her soul was the jewel's true power. And now, her reincarnation sits in bed sobbing her grief over her love's capture." "Damn you Naraku," I growl and begin to struggle against my bonds, "I won't let you get away with this." "On the contrary pup," Naraku says mockingly, "You'll be the one to help me gain her soul." He then begins to pump miasma into the room and it fills my nose. The powerful smell over takes me, and I know no more.

(Kaiti's POV)  
It's been a week now since Kenmaru was taken from me. Every night, I wake up from my nightmares, screaming for my koishii. But each time I look to where he usually watches over me in the night, his comforting presence is missing. Instead, my dear adopted sister, Marrissa, my loving mother, or the wonderful Kagome rush to my room to calm and reassure me. I can tell that it is taking a toll on them however. Marrissa never has liked seeing me sad, and has never before known me to be filled with so much sorrow. My mother worries for me, hoping that Kenmaru will come back soon. She knows how much I love him and that only his return will ease my suffering. Kagome is taking it worst of all. I know that she is also sad that her son's absence. I can tell that it worries her greatly that he has yet to return or be located. I believe that she feared the worst at times.

Somehow, I know that he is still alive, but still he has yet to return. As the days of the past week went by and Christmas approached, I began to have growing feelings of dread and unease. Tonight is Christmas Eve, and tomorrow I am supposed to go and visit with my family. I was supposed to take Kenmaru with me. I was going to finally introduce him to all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. But my feelings of dread will not leave me, and I have a feeling that something will happen on Christmas Day. I can only pray that things will turn out for the better. That night, however, I have another nightmare. I woke from my sleep once again, as I had every night since Kenmaru's disappearance. But this time the nightmare was different, it was much worse than ever before.

Hearing my screams, Kagome rushes into the room and pulls my sobbing form close to her heart. I know that she sees me as her daughter, which is why I feel dread at having to tell her about what I saw. "Kagome," I whisper tearfully, "The nightmare was different tonight. It... it was horrible." "Tell me about it dear," she replies calmly, "What made it so horrible?" "In this nightmare," I reply quietly, "Kenmaru was back, but... but he wasn't the same. He wasn't himself. He... he was with Naraku, and his eyes... his eyes were glazed and dull. His eyes looked... they looked dead!" I begin to openly sob now as the horror of the nightmare overwhelms me again. "He didn't recognize any of us," I cry into her chest, "And when Naraku gave the command, he attacked. Something bad is going to happen. I just know it!" Kagome rocks me gently in her arms and whispers to me comfortingly. "Don't worry dear," she whispers, "If anything like that happens, we'll be able to free Kenmaru." I look up at her in shock, tears still streaming down my cheeks. "How," I ask tearfully, "How could we save him?" "Your love dear," she replies wisely, "Naraku won't be able to control Kenmaru if he tries to have him attack the one my son loves. As long as you're there, he'll come back to us." "I hope so," I whisper, "Or else I don't know if I'll be able to get through this."

(Kenmaru's POV)  
I am trapped within my mind. I can think independently, but I cannot control my body. Over the past week, Naraku used every single one of his torture weapons many times, breaking down my body. And then at night, he called upon the mirror to torture my heart. I could only watch as, every single night, my koishii woke screaming from her nightmares. Tonight's nightmare was even worse than all of the others combined. Tonight, Naraku placed a nightmare into my dear Kaiti's head, and then watched her suffer. That's what broke me. And when Naraku sensed this, he invaded my body with his aura, taking immediate control. He then supplied me with a vision of Kaiti's nightmare. He was going to use me to break her, hurt her, kill her. My mind revolted. I fought his will throughout the night, but could not break his control. In the morning, he unchained me. My body acted on his will instead of mine. I could only hope that what my mother had said the night before would be true. I did not want to hurt my koishii. I love her, and she has suffered enough at Naraku's hands.

Naraku's first actions were to transport us to the border of the woods surrounding Kaiti's house. We watched as her parents and little brother left around nine o'clock. They were going to Kaiti's aunt and uncle's house I knew. Before Naraku captured me, we had planned to go together. Kaiti had been so excited about introducing me to the rest of the family. I couldn't help but shudder mentally at the reason why Kaiti did not leave with them. 'They know we're here,' I think sadly, 'Seeing me like this will kill her.' Naraku's evil voice enters my thoughts. 'That is exactly what I want pup,' he sneers inside my head, 'Only when she is broken will I be able to control her powers.' I growl mentally at him, while dreading what lay before me. "They have sensed us near," Naraku says at last, "It is time to reveal ourselves." Even though I struggle against his will with all my might, I am not able to stop my body as Naraku commands it to leap forward and land in a tree at the very edge of the small clearing beside Kaiti's house. I am able to see everything, but do nothing.

(Kaiti's POV)  
It is mid-morning when I begin to sense Naraku and Kenmaru nearby. Kenmaru's parents and Rissa are on their feet in an instant. "No," I whisper fearfully, "Don't let this be happening. I don't want another nightmare to come true." "Come on sis," Rissa says gently, "We have to do this." "I know," I reply in a whisper, "But I don't want it to be true. I don't want to see him like that." I take in a deep breath as I rise to my feet and follow everyone else out the door. I keep my head down, not wanting to look until I absolutely have to. I hear Naraku's cruel laughter and Inuyasha's deep, angry growl. "Ah, I see you recognize my newest servant Inuyasha," Naraku says mockingly, "It took me a while to whip him into shape." "You bastard," Inuyasha growls angrily, "You won't get away with this." Ignoring Inuyasha's threat, the next thing that Naraku says shakes me. "Well girl, aren't you going to look up and greet your destruction," he asks mockingly, "He's practically been dying to see you in the flesh. And my little nightly picture shows only increased his desire."

Shaking slightly, I raise my head and look into the dull, lifeless eyes staring down at me from the branch of a tall tree. "No," I whisper and begin to sob loudly, "Kenmaru, what has he done to you?" At Naraku's cruel laughter, I quickly turn my tear filled eyes to look at him angrily. "What did you do to him," I scream angrily, tears still pouring down my face, "What have you done to Kenmaru, you bastard?" Naraku smirks and says, "It's quite simple miko. I needed a new servant, and Kenmaru was there for the taking. All that I had to do was break him, physically and emotionally." Kenmaru's parents both growl angrily as his father draws the Tetsusaiga. "I'll destroy you Naraku, you bastard," Inuyasha growls angrily, "You will pay for this." "You will not be fighting me Inuyasha," Naraku says evilly, "You'll be fighting your son instead." Laughing manically, he then turns to Kenmaru and commands, "Now Kenmaru. Attack." Then Naraku disappears into thin air.

Tears fill my eyes as Kenmaru leaps from the tree. He flexes his fingers, his claws gleaming dangerously. His father puts away his sword, knowing that he won't be able to harm Kenmaru with it. Without warning, Kenmaru suddenly leaps forward to attack. His father fights back, but only in defense. It's not long before he goes flying, landing on the ground with a thud. Kagome runs to him, making sure that he isn't hurt. Kenmaru turns to walk towards his parents, raising his claws once again. I can't take it anymore and finally cry out, "Kenmaru stop it! Snap out of it koi!" Kenmaru freezes suddenly at my words, and then turns to face me. I stare into his eyes as he stares into mine. As he looks into my tear filled eyes, I see a flash of recognition. My Kenmaru is still there. "Please Kenmaru," I beg tearfully, "This isn't you. I know you're in there somewhere. Please Kenmaru, fight his control." Kenmaru's eyes flash once more and he lowers his arm. I can sense him fighting the influence inside of his body. I begin to walk towards him, my hands clutched to my chest. His eyes flash again and he growls. "Kaiti," he growls, "Get away... I don't... want... to... hurt... you." "You won't hurt me koishii," I whisper tearfully, "I know you won't. I trust you."

I continue to walk towards him as his eyes continue to flash back and forth. He's fighting Naraku's control, but they are in a deadlock. "Sis," Rissa calls out in worry, "What are you doing?" I feel her grasp my arm, trying to pull me back. "Let me go Rissa," I say softly, "I need to do this." I look into her eyes briefly, and can tell that she understands. Reluctantly, she lets go of my arm and I continue to walk towards Kenmaru. When I finally reach him, I reach forward and grab his shirt, pulling myself into his chest. Looking up at him, I whisper, "Kenmaru, I miss you. Please come back to me koishii." Tears fill my eyes once more as I lean forward and place my lips to his in a tender kiss. I close my eyes and feel the tears stream down my cheeks as I pray that this will be enough.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
When Kaiti's lips met mine, my body unfroze as Naraku's control completely shattered. Her kiss was warm, sweet, and filled with love. Needing to reassure her, I slowly respond to the kiss. My hands reach up to cup her face as I move my lips against hers. Pulling away slightly, she whispers, "Kenmaru. Are you ok now?" "Kaiti," I whisper lovingly and pull her closer. I place my lips to her forehead in a loving kiss and then bury my face into her soft hair. "Thank goodness," she sobs tearfully and buries her head into my chest, "I missed you so much." "I'm so sorry," I whisper softly, "I missed you too. I tried to come back sooner. I'm so sorry koishii." "It's ok," she whispers tearfully, "You're back now. That's all that matters." I continue to hold her close to me and inhale her sweet scent as she keeps her face buried in my chest. She clutches me desperately, needing to feel me hold her. Only by touching me is she completely sure that I'm not just a dream. I don't let her go for an instant, not even when my parents rush to welcome me back. I need to feel her touch as well. Being forced to watch her suffer alone every night made me want to never let go.

Even when we enter the house, I don't let go of her. All of those long, restless nights had finally caught up with Kaiti. She had fallen asleep in my arms before we had even reached the porch steps. Once we had reached the door, my dad had excused himself to go guard the perimeter of the property. He could tell that I needed some alone time with Kaiti. Mom went with him, saying that she would probably have to keep an eye on him. Knowing my dad, he wouldn't hesitate to go after the bastard who had dared captured his son. When we entered the house, Rissa headed towards the kitchen, saying something about fixing us some ramen. She knew that I needed some alone time with Kaiti, but I could tell that she still wanted to stay near. She was worried about Kaiti, knowing exactly why she had finally collapsed in my arms. Rissa hated seeing Kaiti like this, especially when she hadn't been able to do anything to prevent it. Just before heading upstairs however, I asked Rissa if she could call Kaiti's parents and update them on what had happened. They deserved to know that their daughter was alright. At her nod, I climbed the stairs and turned into Kaiti's bedroom. When I went to lay her down in the bed however, she refused to let go of me, even in her sleep. I had no choice but to lay down on the bed beside her as she cuddled even closer to me. I watch her sleep for a while, but then I too begin to feel the effects of not sleeping for a whole week. I too fall asleep, as I continue to hold my koishii close.


	7. Christmas Together

**Southern Love**

Chapter 7: Christmas Together

(Kaiti's POV)  
I wake up in Kenmaru's arms to the sound of my alarm clock. Groggily, I reach over and cut it off while trying to remember why I had set it. Then it hit me. I only had about an hour and a half to get ready for Christmas with my family. I hope they aren't too surprised when I bring Kenmaru along with me. Kenmaru yawns and mutters sleepily, "What's with the alarm koi?" "Sorry," I reply with a sigh, "I set it earlier to remind me when I needed to start getting ready for the rest of the day. Remember, I'm supposed to introduce you to the rest of the family today." "Yeah I remember," he sighs, "But I won't be able to go unless you can find my concealing charm." "Don't worry," I reply, "It's right here." I reach underneath my pillow and pull out the beautiful necklace charm. At his questioning gaze, I whisper, "I felt better having it close. After a nightmare, I just had to touch it and I felt a little better." His eyes soften and he pulls me closer into his embrace. "I'm sorry I was gone for so long," he whispers, "I'm so sorry koishii." "It's ok," I whisper as I look into his eyes, "I love you, and you're back now. That's all that matters." He brings his face closer to mine, and his lips stop just inches from mine. "Kaiti," he whispers, "I love you too." Then our lips meet in a tender kiss full of love and need. Through the kiss, we silently tell each other how much we missed one another.

When we finally pull away for air, I lean my forehead against his and sigh happily. "Hey sis," I hear Rissa yell from downstairs, "Don't you need to be getting ready for Christmas with your family? I know I heard that annoying alarm clock of yours." Looking up at the clock, I reply back, "Yeah, it went off almost five minutes ago sis. I wish you would stop listening in on my private conversations." She just replies with a, "Feh. Whatever." Kenmaru laughs and says, "You know she can't help it. Cats have very good hearing and are very curious." "Yeah, I know. But there's also the saying that 'curiosity kills the cat'," I mutter, knowing that Marrissa can hear me loud and clear. I then finally pull out of his arms and sit up with a sigh. "I might as well go take a quick shower and get ready," I sigh, "We don't want to be late, or else I'll never hear the end of it. Especially when it comes to my cousins." Kenmaru sits up and says, "Yeah. Then I better shower after you. Don't want to make a bad impression do I?" "Ok," I reply, "Just hop in my parents' shower once you hear the water stop running. I know that you'll be ready before me anyway." He nods and then takes the necklace that I hold out to him. He slips it on and his hanyou features disappear. We don't want to spill the big secret just yet.

I get up and go to my closet and open it. Looking over the array of clothes, I pull out a pair of dark, slimming denim jeans and an emerald green sweater that I know will bring out the fire in my red hair. Then I quickly grab some underwear out of their drawer and throw Kenmaru a smile before heading for my bedroom door. "I won't take too long in the shower," I tell him over my shoulder, "That way you can hop in." I head towards the bathroom and put my stuff on the counter before turning the shower on. Then I quickly walk out of the bathroom and sneak into my parents' room. I head straight for my mom's closet and open it. Bending down, I grab a hold of a brightly wrapped present and pull it out into the open. Smiling happily, I stand up and place it on the bed. 'He's going to love it,' I think to myself as I grab a piece of paper and write a quick note. Once done, I sneak back to the bathroom and hop in the shower while humming happily. 

(Kenmaru's POV)  
About ten minutes after Kaiti leaves her bedroom, I finally hear the water stop as she turns the shower off. I can hear her humming happily and can't help but smile. I love that I am able to make her happy. She's my whole world. Still smiling, I grab some clothes and head for her parents' room. When I enter the room, the first thing that I notice is the Christmas gift sitting on the bed. It is wrapped in shiny, bright red wrapping paper and topped with a silver bow. I pick up the small piece of paper on top and smile as I read the note. 'Kenmaru,' it reads, 'Don't open your present until after you've showered and dressed. NO peaking until then. Hope you like it. Love, Kaiti.' "I'm sure that I will koi," I whisper happily and set the note down. I then grab my clothes from where I had laid them on the bed and head for the bathroom. Closing the door behind me, I undress and hop in the shower, still grinning happily. Even over the sound of the water jetting from the shower head, I can still hear Kaiti's happy humming.

A good five minutes later, I hop out of the shower and dry off. I get dressed in the bathroom and then shake my head to relieve my hair of most of the water still clinging to it. It doesn't take me long to towel dry it the rest of the way. Exiting the bathroom, I hear the sound of Kaiti's hairdryer running in the other bathroom. As I head towards the bed, I try to imagine what gift she could have gotten me. She never asked me if I wanted anything. Picking up the present in my claws, I make quick, neat work of the wrapping paper and cut the tape that holds the box together. I crumble the torn paper up and quickly throw it in the trash before finally grasping the box lid. Slowly, I slide the lid off of the box and look inside. A smile forms on my lips as I gaze at the dark, stylish denim jacket inside. "She would worry about me getting cold," I say with a smile and lift it out of the box. I pull it on and am not surprised when it fits perfectly. "She must have gone through my clothes to get my size," I mutter, "She would want to make sure that it was perfect." Still smiling, I head out of the room and towards her bedroom. I had a present of my own to give. Quickly, I retrieved the small present from its hiding place and then headed to the hallway bathroom. I knock on the door and wait for the hairdryer to stop. "Hey," I call through the door, "It ok if I come in?"

(Kaiti's POV)  
I turn off my hairdryer when I hear Kenmaru knock on the bathroom door. "Hey," he says, "It ok if I come in?" "Yeah," I reply happily as I turn and open the door. I gasp in wonder at the sight before me. "Wow," I whisper, "that jacket looks better on you than I imagined. Do you like it?" "Yes koi," he replies with a grin, "I like it a lot. Thank you." "You're welcome," I reply with a grin of my own, "You know I had Mom look in like three different stores before she found the right one. She sent me dozens of pictures of different jackets before I finally told her which one to get." "You didn't have to make her go through that much trouble," he says still smiling. "I know," I laugh, "But I wanted it to be perfect." "Well it is," he says and then grins wickedly. I notice that he hasn't moved one of his hands from behind his back the entire time. "Ok Kenmaru," I sigh, "What are you up to eh? What are you hiding behind your back koi?" His grin widens as he pulls his hand into the open. Opening his hand, he reveals a small box wrapped in beautiful green paper and topped with a red bow.

"Oh Kenmaru," I murmur as he slips the box into my hands. "Merry Christmas koishii," he whispers lovingly, "Go ahead and open it." Gently, I pull the bow and wrapping paper off of the box. I want to save at least a bit of the paper, since it had wrapped my first Christmas present from Kenmaru. Once the wrapping is off, a small jewelry box sits in the palm of my hand. I look up into his eyes in surprise and he whispers, "Go on. Open it." Slowly, I pull the lid open and gasp at what I see inside. Nestled inside of the box is a beautiful silver ring that is set with a single, small, breath-taking ruby. "Oh Kenmaru," I whisper happily, "You shouldn't have. It's too much." "I wanted to," he replies and kisses my forehead, "You deserve it." He then lifts the ring out of the box and places it in my hand. "Read the inscription inside," he tells me. "Ok," I reply and look inside of the ring's band. Inscribed on the inside part just below the small ruby are the words, 'To my beautiful koishii,'. "Thank you koi," I murmur lovingly, "I'll wear it always." Smiling, Kenmaru gently takes the ring in his hand and slips it on my finger. "Good," he replies softly, "Because this ring is a promise. My promise to you that I'll always love and protect you, no matter what." Tears of happiness fill my eyes and a few spill over onto my cheek. Raising his hands, Kenmaru cups my face and wipes the tears away before kissing me gently. Then pulling away slowly, he looks into my eyes and says once again, "Merry Christmas my koishii."

(Kenmaru's POV)  
After I gave Kaiti the ring, her smile never left her face. She was still smiling thirty minutes later when we pulled out of her driveway. We took her car, but I insisted on driving. After over a week without her, I couldn't help but want to protect her in anyway possible. That included driving to her aunt and uncle's house. It was Christmas Day after all, and that meant that everyone would be out on the roads, all going to visit family and friends. After we drove through the main town of Chapin, she gave me directions the rest of the way. The whole way there, I asked her about her family. She told me that today I would be meeting her mom's side of the family, which included her mom's twin sister, older brother, brother and sister-in-laws, and then Kaiti's four older cousins. "You probably already know or at least have heard of one of my cousins," Kaiti tells me, "He's only seven months older than me, but he graduated last year." "Really," I ask, "What's his name?" "Hunter Bickley," she replies, "He played on the varsity football and baseball teams last year." "Oh yeah," I reply, "I remember him." I don't tell her that the only reason I remember her cousin is because he's the first tiger hanyou I've seen in a long while. I feel that it's only right that her family tell her the truth before I do.

We finally pull up into her aunt and uncle's driveway and park right behind her dad's car. "You ready," she asks me with a smile. "Yeah," I reply, "Let's go." Opening the car door, I sniff the air tentatively. Noticing the scent of not only tiger youkai and hanyou, but also monkey youkai and hanyou, I wince mentally. 'This will be crazy,' I can't help but think as I get out of the car. I close the door and walk around to the front of the car, where Kaiti meets me and takes my hand. I'm not surprised that Kaiti hasn't said anything about a demonic aura nearby. She's been around her family all of her life, so their auras are familiar to her and she doesn't notice anything. We walk up to the front door and she knocks lightly before opening the door. "Hey everyone," she calls out, "I'm here. And I brought a guest with me!" The first person to walk into the front room is her mother. When her mom sees me, she gasps in delight. "Thank goodness you're here," she exclaims and rushes to hug both of us. After greeting us, she pulls back and asks me, "When did you finally get back Kenmaru?" "This morning," I reply, knowing what she means. "Sorry I was gone for so long," I say apologetically. "It's ok dear," she assures me, "You're back now. And it's Christmas. Today is a happy day." "It sure is," I reply.

After Kaiti's mom finished greeting us, Kaiti's younger brother, Drew, enters the room. "Yo Kenmaru," he says with a grin, "Nice to see you man." "Good to see you too little man," I tease lightly, "Did you miss me kicking your butt in Call of Duty?" "As if," he replies jokingly, "I actually won for the first time in a few months." Kaiti smiles and says, "Alright you two, stop teasing each other." "Aww," her brother whines, "But it's fun." Kaiti laughs at us and we begin to move towards the kitchen. When Kaiti steps into the kitchen doorway however, she freezes at the sight before her. "What the heck," she gasps, "I must be seeing things." Standing before her is her entire family, which includes a tiger youkai, two tiger hanyous, a monkey youkai, and two monkey hanyous. Turning to me she asks, "I am seeing things right?" "Nope," I reply, "Your eyes are working perfectly fine." Her family looks at me questioningly. A couple of her cousins grow softly, soft enough that only a hanyou or youkai can hear. "What's she talking about dog boy," they ask me quietly. Out loud I say, "She can see you, you know. She can see through your concealing charms."

(Kaiti's POV)  
When I step into the kitchen doorway, I freeze. Before me is my entire family, but something is different. My Aunt Julie and Uncle Timmy look like full-fledged youkai, one a tiger and the other a monkey. My cousins all look like hanyous. Hunter and Jess are tigers, and Shell and Danny are monkeys. "What the heck," I gasp, "I must be seeing things. I turn to Kenmaru and ask, "I am seeing things right?" "Nope," he replies, "You eyes are working perfectly fine." My family looks at us questioningly. "She can see you, you know," Kenmaru tells them, "She can see through your concealing charms." "Concealing charms," Mom asks in confusion, "What is he talking about?" Looking at me relatives, I say, "Might as well take off the charms y'all. Everyone in this room knows that youkai and hanyou exist. We found out months ago." One by one, my cousins each take off their charms. My aunt and uncle follow them shortly after sighing quietly. Kenmaru also takes off his necklace. He didn't need it now. My parents gasp and Drew just says, "Oh cool! I'm related to demons!" "Why didn't you tell us," I ask them with a sigh. "We didn't think you had to know," Uncle Timmy says calmly, "Not until the seal on your miko powers broke anyway."

"Figures you would know about the seal," I mutter, "And I found out about youkai and hanyou before the seal broke. And then it broke about a month early." "I guess dog boy here told you huh," my cousin Danny asks with a growl. "Well yeah he told me," I say with a sigh, "And don't call him dog boy." Looking at them all I say, "Everyone, this is my boyfriend Kenmaru. We've been dating since the first day of school. The day that I found out that youkai and hanyou exist outside of fairytales." "What he do, ask you out and then tell you," my cousin Hunter asks mockingly. "No," I reply angrily, "He told me after he saved me from being killed by a bear youkai that was sent by Naraku to attack me. Of course, we didn't find out about Naraku being alive until a few weeks later when my seal broke while we fought him." "Naraku," Aunt Julie gasps in shock, "That evil monster is alive?" "Yeah," I sigh, "Let us tell you the whole story."

We all go into the living room and sit down. Once we're all settled in, I begin to tell them about the past few months. The whole time, Kenmaru holds my hand gently for comfort. I explain about how I met Kenmaru, when he told me about youkai and hanyou, us going to save his dad and meeting Naraku, the frequent youkai attacks, everything. When I get to what had happened over a week ago, my voice begins to shake. Kenmaru squeezes my hand gently, giving me comfort. But that doesn't stop the tears when I tell my family about Kenmaru being captured and held hostage for the past week. As I begin to cry, Kenmaru pulls me into his arms and whispers to me as I sob into his chest. His touch and his words comfort me as he tells me that it's ok and that he's here now. When I finally calm down some, my aunt asks Kenmaru softly, "How did you come back?" That's when I hear about the torture that Kenmaru went through while he was gone and how Naraku was able to control him. "Even though Naraku had control over my body," he says quietly, "He didn't control my mind. I fought his control as hard as I could, but we were deadlocked. I did the best I could so that he couldn't have me hurt Kaiti or my parents. That's when Kaiti saved me. She's the reason I was able to break free. I might still be under Naraku's control if it wasn't for her."

(Kenmaru's POV)  
When I tell her family that Kaiti is the whole reason I'm now free of that bastard Naraku, Kaiti looks up at me in shock. "Really," she asks softly, "Do you really believe that?" Looking into her eyes, I whisper, "Yes koi. Without you, I wouldn't be here right now. I might have even hurt you." "You wouldn't have hurt me Kenmaru," she replies, "And you never will. You're always protecting me." "Wait a minute," her monkey hanyou cousin, Danny, growls, "What did you just call my cousin?" Glaring at her cousin, Kaiti says, "You heard him monkey boy. He called me koi, so you better get used to it." Then Danny's sister, Shell, slaps him upside the head. "You baka," she growls, "Be happy for the two of them. It's obvious that they love each other." "And it has been for months," Kaiti's mom adds calmly, "And I for one approve. Kenmaru and his family have risked a lot to protect Kaiti from the monster that's after her. I'll be forever greatful to them." "Thank you," I say happily, "That means a lot." "Yes, thank you so much Mama," Kaiti says happily, "You don't know how much that means to me." "You're welcome baby," her mother says with a smile, "And I'm glad to see that Kenmaru likes his Christmas present."

Kaiti smiles at her mother happily. "Yeah," she says with a grin, "Sorry I didn't wait to give it to him here, but I couldn't wait to give it to him." "Thanks for going to all of that trouble of going out and getting it," I tell her gratefully, "You didn't have to do that." "Yes I did," she replies, "Especially when your mother told me about what you were getting for Kaiti." Turning to Kaiti, she commands, "Come on. Show it to me. It's not every Christmas that you get a promise ring dear." Smiling happily, Kaiti gets up and walks over to her mother and extends her hand. "Oh wow," her tiger hanyou cousin, Jessie, exclaims, "It's beautiful!" "Oh my," Kaiti's mother says with a smile, "It's just like Kagome described! It's lovely." "Thanks Mom," Kaiti says softly, "I love it. And it means a lot to me that you approve." "I know dear," her mother replies, "And now that you've finished showing it to us, I believe it's time to eat." Turning to me, Kaiti smiles, her eyes full of love. "Come on koishii," she says and takes my hand, "There's still a lot of Christmas left." "Yeah," I reply and kiss her on her forehead, "And I'm glad that I get to spend all of it with you."


	8. Back to School, What Next?

**Southern Love**

Chapter 8: Back to School, What Next?

(Kenmaru's POV)  
Kaiti's shrill alarm goes off at 6:20 in the morning. I sigh, knowing that she'll turn it off soon and go back to sleep. It's her usual morning habit for a school day. Right on cue, I hear Kaiti mumble something about her alarm always ruining the best dreams. Her right hand appears out from under the covers and lands on top of the small, white clock. Its annoying beeps stop instantly. Kaiti's hand slides back underneath her covers and she sighs sleepily. I give her about five minutes before walking over to the bed to gently wake her. After all, she'd kill me if I let her be late for the first day back to school. Christmas break is finally over, which means that once again she'll be a blur of activity in the mornings. I swear, once she gets out of bed she never stops going until we get into the car. "Wake up koi," I tell her gently, "First day back to school. I know you don't want to be late." "Five more minutes Kenmaru," she mumbles sleepily, "Just five minutes." "I already gave you five minutes baka," I laugh, "I always do. Now get up before your mom comes in and turns the light on. I know you hate that." "Ok," she sighs and sits up. She brings both hands up to her eyes and rubs them sleepily. "You know the drill koi," she yawns, "Get out. Go get dressed." I smile at her and head towards the door of her bedroom. For good measure, I turn on her light. My Kaiti hates being late, but she loves her sleep more. And with the light on, she'll have to get up.

Once I'm sure that Kaiti is getting ready for the day, I quickly head to her brother's room. Both Kaiti and her parents had insisted that I keep my clothes and other items in the runt's room. Her parents tolerate me staying in Kaiti's room at night, but they won't allow for me to dress in her room as well. With a sigh, I reach down into my clothes bag and pull out an outfit for the day. And of course, I pull out the jacket. Kaiti had made the perfect choice when she had her mom buy it for me. Its dark denim color goes with just about every outfit I own and it keeps me warm. Before getting dressed, I nudge Kaiti's brother into the waking world. "Get up runt," I tease, "Or we'll leave you here. You'll have to get your mom or dad to take you to school then." "Kenmaru," Drew moans, "Come on man! Can't a guy get some sleep around here?" "Yeah you could," I reply, "That is if you stop texting girls all night. I can hear the tapping of your phone keys baka." "Fine I'm up," he groans, "Just don't tell my mom about the texting!" "Don't worry kid," I laugh, "I won't. Now get some clothes and get dressed." Drew sits up and like his sister, he rubs his eyes in order to wake up. Yawning, he walks over to his closet and grabs out something to wear. Silently, he leaves the room to go to his parents' room. For some reason, it's just a habit for him to get dressed in there. When he's gone from sight, I quickly shut the door and get dressed. The last thing I pull on is the jacket. Even to this day, it still smells slightly of Kaiti from when she had placed it in its gift box. I plan to make sure that it always carries the scent of her on it. Her scent comforts me.

Smiling happily, I open Drew's bedroom door just in time to see Kaiti walk back to her room from the hallway bathroom. By the time I reach her room, she's already drying her hair. I wince slightly at the loud sound of her hairdryer and go to sit on her now straightened up bed. She looks over at me and smiles happily while continuing to brush and dry her hair. It's not long before she's done with the dryer. With a final brush through, she smiles over at me and stands up. "Ready for some breakfast," she asks, "We've got plenty of time this morning since you woke me up right on time." "Sure," I reply with a grin, "You know what I'm gonna eat." She giggles happily and says, "Geez Kenmaru. You're just like your dad. Is ramen the only thing you eat for breakfast?" "Yep," I say, "Pretty much. Ramen is damn good stuff." "You know," Kaiti says thoughtfully, "I think I'm going to join you this morning. It's cold out and I could go for a hot breakfast." "Fine by me koi," I answer, "I think you'll like ramen for breakfast." "I bet," she says with a grin, "Which is why tomorrow, I want you to try Poptarts for breakfast. I think you'll like them." "Think so," I ask teasingly, "We'll see about that."

(Kaiti's POV)  
For the first day back from Christmas break, the morning went really well. Kenmaru woke me up just in time today and we were able to have a decent breakfast together. Of course, Kenmaru's sister-in-law and my friend, Emmy, wouldn't let up on us about how much Kenmaru and I had been cuddling lately. "I mean geez chica," Emmy had said sarcastically, "He's not a teddy bear you know." "I know that Emmy," I had replied with a laugh, "Besides, remember? Marrissa had labeled Blaze as the teddy bear since he snores so softly. Kenmaru isn't a teddy bear, Blaze is." Emmy and I had both laughed at the memory, while Kenmaru and his brother Tashio just sat there confused. "Sorry boys," I had said with a laugh, "It's an old joke that got started like two years ago. That one started around the same time we gave Blaze his nickname. Whenever we want to embarrass him, we call him Scruffles." They had both laughed at that. I can't help but smile at the memory as Kenmaru drives us to school. Of course, my brother sits in the back seat and acts annoying the whole time, but Kenmaru doesn't seem to mind. I guess he knows what it's like to be a little brother, or at least what it's like to have siblings.

When we arrive at school, Kenmaru smoothly pulls into our parking space and kills the engine. "Ready for the first day back," he asks me. "Yeah," I reply, "Besides, school will help things get a bit normal again. As normal as they can get at least with us battling youkai all the time." "You two coming or not," Drew asks annoyed, "Or am I going to have to leave you here and head on to my class?" "We're coming runt," Kenmaru replies, "Go on ahead. Besides, I hear some of your friends calling you." Drew nods and races off, leaving Kenmaru and I alone. "You sure you're ready," Kenmaru asks me softly, "A lot happened over break." "I'm sure," I answer quietly, "If I don't do this now, I won't be able to. I'm not going to let what Naraku did get to me. We got through it, and that's all that matters." "Ok," Kenmaru says softly, "Just making sure." He smiles lovingly and reaches over to give me a gentle kiss. The loving press of his lips against mine calms me, and I sigh happily when he pulls away. "Let's do this," I say confidently, "I'm ready!" Kenmaru smiles at me as we exit the car and meet in front of it. Clasping hands, we walk into the school building, ready for the new day.

At lunch, I sigh loudly when Kenmaru and I sit down at our usual table. "What's up sis," Rissa asks me curiously, "Rough day?" "Yeah," I reply, "But it wasn't rough until after my last class. My Spanish teacher assigned a group project, and Kenmaru and I are in different groups. Plus, I'm in a group with three guys. All of them are totally immature." "Yeah got that right," Kenmaru says quietly, "And they're all human too. Luckily, my group is all youkai and hanyou. Kaiti wasn't so lucky however." "Great," Rissa mutters, "That's going to be a problem. Knowing the guys in our grade, Kaiti will end up doing all of the work. Plus, they'll probably want to do the out of school work at Kaiti's place. Besides you and a few other guys, the boys in our year are all pigs." "I hope you weren't talking about us," Blaze says as he and Rissa's boyfriend, Darnell, set their trays down. "Nope," I reply with a sigh, "We were talking about my three Spanish project partners. They're all guys and all human." "That's going to be a problem," Blaze comments, "I mean, how will you explain why Kenmaru is at your place when they come over to work on the project? Oh and what would happen if Naraku decides to show his ugly head, or at least sends a youkai after you?"

(Kenmaru's POV)  
Damnit, I hadn't thought of that. And there's no way I'm going to leave Kaiti unprotected. Especially not with those three humans there with her. The three of them might not know it, but I know everything about what they do during their free time. Out of all of the students in our Spanish class, Kaiti got stuck with the three most perverted of the group. "We'll come up with something," I tell Blaze seriously, "There's no way I'm going to leave Kaiti home alone with those guys. All three of them are disgusting perverts. They don't think that we can hear them, but every single class they whisper about which girl they want to try next. I'm not going to let any of those bastards even get close to laying a hand on Kaiti." "Figures as much," Kaiti says with a sigh, "I would have the worst luck and get stuck with a group of sick perverts. If they dare to lay a hand on me though, I'm gonna beat them all to a bloody pulp. I ain't gonna let them force me to do anything." "Want some help," Marrissa asks her with an evil grin, "I can bring the hammer." "No thanks sis," Kaiti laughs, "Your hammer would squish them like pancakes. We can't kill them like we can with Naraku's youkai." "Actually," I say thoughtfully, "It might be a good idea to have Rissa and maybe Emmy over while you and those guys are working on the project. That way they won't be able to try anything. When do they want to meet anyway?" Kaiti groans and lays her head on the table. "Saturday," she mutters, "They want to come over on Saturday after lunch. Whose turn is it for guard on Saturday?" "My parents," I reply, "Mom plans to give you another training lesson remember?" "Oh yeah," she says, "I remember. This is gonna be tricky." "You can say that again," I mutter. This is going to be a long week.

On Wednesday, Kaiti and I sit in her living room with the rest of my Spanish project group. Luckily, my entire group is all youkai and hanyou, so they understand why we're meeting at Kaiti's. We work for about two hours while Kaiti does some other homework. At the end of those two hours, the project is completely finished. "Y'all are so lucky," Kaiti mutters when she sees the finished project, "I wish I already had mine done and over with." "Who's in your group Kaiti," asks Cooper, a kitsune hanyou. "Let's see," Kaiti says, "There's Brandon, Mike, and Zach. And all three of them are lazy as hell." "Not to mention sick perves," I add, "Y'all have probably heard all of the stuff they whisper about." "Yeah we have," Shannon, a neko youkai, says with a shudder, "Those guys are creeps." "Which is why," Kaiti says calmly, "If they try to lay a hand on me, I'm gonna beat them to a pulp. I didn't study martial arts for almost 7 years for nothing." "Oh I'd love to see that," Natalie, a panther hanyou, says with a grin, "I remember how awesome you were. I hated that you had to quit for band and colorguard." "Thanks Natalie," Kaiti says with a grin, "I'm glad that at least someone misses me. The others from our studio haven't even talked to me since I quit. At least, most of them haven't. I've talked with Daniel and them, but that's it." "How can I not miss you," Natalie asks her, "You were a great teacher after all." "Thanks," Kaiti replies and blushes, "Even though I probably wouldn't be in as good of shape as I am if it wasn't for Kenmaru and his mom training me." "Hey," I say with a grin, "Mastering your blade staff was all you koi. We just helped a little bit in the spiritual area." Kaiti just smiles at me and turns back to her homework. She's used to me using endearments in front of others, and I know that she loves that I do. That's why I do it after all, to make her happy.

(Kaiti's POV)  
Saturday could not have gotten here any slower. This whole week, I had been dreading the day that my project group would be coming over to work. Luckily though, right before they came over, Kagome and Emmy gave me another lesson on my miko abilities. I wasn't even sweating when we were through. And, I felt recharged. By building my powers, I've also been building my strength and stamina. Of course after the lesson, Kagome left to go help Inuyasha with perimeter watch. So the only ones left in the house were me, Kenmaru, and Emmy. Kenmaru had decided to monitor us from the back room, since his car wasn't there. Didn't want the humans to get the wrong idea. Emmy, however, was going to monitor us from the tree out in my yard. She was going to make sure that she couldn't be seen, but that she could see us through the window. When they arrived, I noticed that they were all in the same car. They were planning something, I was sure of it. I walk out to greet them, knowing that they wouldn't be stupid enough to try anything out in the open. "Hi guys," I say with a polite smile, "Ready to get some work done? The project is due Friday." "You bet," Mike says with a grin, "If we hurry, we could have it done today." "That's what I'm aiming for," I reply, "I've got so much more other homework to do. AP courses are tough on homework." The boys just grin and nod in understanding. Cautiously, I lead them inside the house.

Once we're inside the house, my dog comes over to bark at the newcomers. Apparently, Rocky doesn't like them for some reason. "Stop that Rocky," I command, "They're guests. Now get in your pen. We don't need you all over us while we're working on our project." Rocky's ears droop and he does as he's told. Once he's in his pen, I bend over and secure the locks. He whimpers as I go to stand up straight again and I smile at him. Still bent slightly, I say, "Don't worry bubba. I'll let you out as soon as we're done. Ok?" My sad little puppy merely lays his head down and looks up at me with those sad eyes of his. I sigh and go to stand again, only to feel a pair of hands grab me from behind. "Hey," I yell, "What are you doing? Let go of me!" "Aww come on Kaiti," I hear Mike sneer, "You didn't honestly believe we were here to work on that project did you? No, we've had our eye on you for a while now. Ever since you came back to school with that new, sexy figure of yours." "I said let go of me," I scream. On instinct, I lift one leg and kick back with as much force as I can muster in my current position. I hear Mike moan in pain and feel his arms let go of me. I stand up and turn around, anger swelling in me. "How dare you lay a hand on me," I growl, "You're sick, you know that." "What the hell," Mike yells at me, "You're going to pay for that bitch." He rises to his feet and begins to lunge at me, only to be stopped my an angry Kenmaru standing in front of me.

"What did you just call my girlfriend," Kenmaru growls angrily. "You heard me man," Mike sneers, "What are you doing here anyway? Come here to get some action yourself?" Kenmaru growls angrily. "How dare you," he says angrily, "I'm not a sick bastard like you." "Kenmaru," I say almost too calmly, "Let me handle this. I deserve the chance to beat their asses. No one calls me a bitch and gets away with it." "As if you could take us on," Zach scoffs, "You're just a girl." "Want to try me," I ask coolly, "You might be surprised." Sensing my hidden anger, Kenmaru grins and steps back. "They're all yours koishii," he says, "I won't stand in your way." "Thanks," I whisper softly, knowing that he can hear me, "But if I didn't know any better, you're just glad that I'm angry at them and not you." Stepping back he whispers, "You know me too well koi. You're scary when your angry you know." "What a wimp," Brandon sneers, "Letting his girlfriend take on a bunch of guys bigger than her. Are you scared Kenmaru?" "No, not of you," Kenmaru replies, "I'm scared of her. You've never seen her angry boys. I don't want to be you right now." "Whatever," Mike says evilly, "Let's get 'em boys." Zach is the first to attack. He goes to grab me, but I easy side step and dodge him. When he turns to charge me again, I grab his arm and twist it while using my leg to sweep his feet out from under him. He falls down hard and moans in pain. Next thing I know, Brandon attacks. I stop him with an easy roundhouse kick to the head, followed by a spin kick to his stomach. He too falls while moaning in pain. "You bitch," Mike says angrily, "You're gonna pay for that." Reaching into his back pocket, he pulls out a knife and flicks it open.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
When the bastard pulls a knife, Kaiti doesn't back down. "Are you really that big of a coward," she asks him in disgust, "So afraid of being beat that you pull a knife on an unarmed girl? That's low you bastard." "Kaiti," I say cautiously, "Let me handle this one. He might try something tricky." "Hell no," Kaiti replies, "He's the one who started messing with me. I'm gonna finish this Kenmaru. Besides, he can't hurt me any worse than some other bastard that we know." I nod, understanding the hint at what Naraku had done over Christmas break. "Be careful koi," I warn, "Your parents and mine would kill me if I let you get hurt." "Our moms maybe," she replies, "But our dads would just ask you if you got the bastard. And you would tell them that yeah, you got him. I know that even if his blade nicks me just a little bit, he won't be able to walk out of this house without help." "Argh," Mike yells impatiently, "Will you two stop your bull already? You asked for this fight when the girl didn't give us what we wanted. Now come and get me!" "If it's a fight you want," a voice says behind him, "Then I'll give you one." Kaiti and I watch as Emmy's familiar leather boot forces itself between the bastard's legs and devastates his private area. Mike moans in pain and falls to the ground. His knife falls out of his hand in front of him. "Nice shot Emmy," Kaiti says with a grin, "I was wondering when you would show up." "I figured you two would be ok on your own," Emmy says wickedly, "But then Mr. Perve here decided to pull the sharp, sparkly thing from his back pocket. Didn't want him to hurt you chica." "Hmph," Kaiti mutters, "I could have handled him." "What and spoil my fun," Emmy asks sarcastically, "I don't think so. Plus, I noticed that my brother-in-law over there was beginning to see red. If that bastard had lunged at you, he would be dead right now."

"Got that right," I say darkly, "No one tries to hurt you and gets away with it koi. Not on my watch." "I know koishii," Kaiti replies with a smile, "You're always protecting me." She gives me a sweet kiss on the cheek before turning to look down at the three would be rapists lying on her living room floor. "Let's call the cops on these three," she says angrily, "Once they've been arrested and everyone hears about what they tried to do, I'm sure that they won't be allowed back in school. That, and I'm sure to be placed in another project group. The school wouldn't make me do the whole thing myself. Especially not after what my partners tried to do to me in my own home." "Already done," Emmy says calmly, "I called them when perve number one first grabbed you." "Good thinking Emmy," I say gratefully, "I don't want to look at these guys any longer than I already have to. They disgust me." It's only five minutes later when the first cop car arrives. We walk outside to meet them, and they ask us what happened. Kaiti tells them the whole story about what happened from the time that they arrived, to the time that Emmy came to the rescue. Of course, she left out the part where she asked me to step back and let her handle things. When they ask me what I was doing while everything was happening, I tell them how I had been in another part of the house when I heard yelling from the living room. "By the time I got there," I told them, "Kaiti had already defended herself against the first two. The third one pulled the knife not long after I entered the room. That's when Emmy showed up and knocked the guy out with a good kick to the privates." Of course after the on scene interviews, we had to go to the police department and make our official statements. Not even an hour after arriving at the station, all three of the boys had confessed to what they did and were sent to jail.

(Kaiti's POV)  
My mom practically dissolved in tears when we got back home from the police station. "Thank goodness you're alright," she cries in relief, "I knew that those karate lessons were a good idea." "I bet you did a number on those guys sis," Drew says with a grin, "Or else they might not have confessed." "Keh. You even had my son scared for a minute there," Kenmaru's dad says with a grin, "He knows better than to get you angry eh?" "Yeah," I reply and blush slightly, "But it's hard to stay mad at Kenmaru. Those guys however, they made me mad as soon as the first one tried to grab a hold of me. Those bastards were sick to even believe that a girl like me would do something like that with them. I'm not one of those preppy snobs that hangs all over them at school." "I'm surprised that you convinced Kenmaru to let you defend yourself," Kenmaru's mom says calmly, "Usually my son would have jumped on them the moment they laid a hand on you." "Yeah I know," I answer with a small smile, "But I'm glad that I did. I needed to work off some frustration anyway. Kicking their butts helped a lot." "Karate always has helped you vent some steam," my dad comments, "The intensity of your practices helped to tire you out and cool you down some." "Got that right," I say and yawn, "Man, all of today's excitement has made me sleepy. I think I'm going to take a nap." Everyone nods in understanding and either goes back to guard duty, or follows me inside the house.

Yawning again, I begin to make my way up the stairs, but strong arms wrap around my waist. "Kenmaru," I grumble sleepily, "Let me go. I wanna go take a nap." "I know koi," Kenmaru says softly, "But you're yawning so much, I think that you might fall asleep right here on the stairs. So I'm gonna carry you up." Before I can protest, he lifts me into his arms bridal style and walks up the stairs. He doesn't let me down until he reaches my bed and has pulled back the covers. "Get some sleep Kaiti," Kenmaru whispers lovingly, "Today was a bit of a rough day on you. I'll wake you up when dinner is ready." "Ok," I murmur and yawn, "Don't forget though. My dad is making spaghetti tonight. My favorite." "Don't worry," he whispers, "I won't. Now get some sleep." I only nod sleepily and lay my head back on the pillow. With one hand, he gently brushes some of my hair off of my forehead before placing a kiss on my brow. I sigh happily, knowing that he'll always be there to take care of me. Kenmaru pulls the bed covers over me and then goes to lean against his usual portion of wall. I fiddle with my promise ring a bit before finally drifting off to sleep.


	9. Tender Love and Fearsome Anger

**Southern Love**

Chapter 9: Tender Love and Fearsome Anger 

(Kaiti's POV)  
It's a perfect Friday afternoon as Kenmaru and I head home from school. Well as perfect as a Friday can be when it's in the beginning of January. "Wow, today was I great," I say with a sigh, "And our Spanish project went awesomely!" "Yeah it did," Kenmaru replies with a smile, "I'm glad that our teacher put you in my group after the whole perve incident. Besides, you had helped us out anyway." "Only a little though," I add, "So I do feel kinda guilty." "Aww come on koi," Kenmaru says, "Don't be like that. The others all agreed that you did as much as you could with what happened and all. Don't beat yourself up over it. Besides, you deserve the good grade after what those bastards tried to do." "Do you really think so," I ask just as we pull into my driveway. "Yeah I do," he replies with a smile. Soon, he has swiftly pulled into his usual parking space for my car and has turned the car off. "So," Kenmaru says suddenly, "What do you want to do tonight? It is a Friday night after all." "Let's have a movie night in," I say excitedly, "Mom just bought some awesome hot chocolate and marshmallows! Plus, I think she got graham crackers and chocolate bars as well! We can sit in front of the TV with hot chocolate and microwave smores!" "Sounds good to me," he says and leans in towards me, "But what movie do you want to watch koi?" "Well," I say softly, "Darnell did finally return my Phantom of the Opera DVD. I've not seen it in a long time. Plus, I love to sing softly along with some of the songs." "Good choice," Kenmaru whispers and kisses me gently, "I love it when you sing."

I sigh and blush slightly. "Thanks," I whisper, "It's one of my favorite movies." "Your welcome koi," he replies and finally opens his car door, "Now let's get inside before we freeze out here." "Ok," I reply and open my door as well. As soon as I'm out of the car, I feel something sting the side of my neck. "Ouch," I yelp, "Something stung me." "Come here," Kenmaru says, "Let me take a look at it." "Coming," I reply. As I begin to walk forward though, I begin to feel really dizzy. 'What's happening to me,' I ask myself, 'Why am I suddenly so dizzy?' "You ok koi," Kenmaru asks worriedly. I go to answer, but my lips don't want to work. "Help," I try to say, "Kenmaru something's wrong." I feel myself begin to pitch forward as I walk towards him. Before I hit the ground though, I feel Kenmaru's strong arms wrap around me. "Kaiti," he says in panic, "Kaiti are you alright koi?" I try to answer. "Kenmaru," I want to say, "Please help me. There's something wrong with me." When I don't answer out loud, I hear Kenmaru sniff the air tentatively. "Damnit," he curses, "It's poison. I can smell it." I feel one of his hands on the back of my neck and a slight pain as he pulls something from my body. "Don't worry koishii," he whispers, "You're going to be ok. I'm going to get some help." That's the last thing I hear before I finally pass out. The rest was up to Kenmaru.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
'Damnit,' I curse inside my head, 'How could I have let this happen?' I sit by Kaiti's beside as she sleeps peacefully. As soon as she had fallen in my arms, I had discovered the poison dart. The first thing I did was pull it out and then rush her into the house. My parents had heard my cursing and had come out of the woods and into the house. "What's happened," my dad had asked, "What's wrong?" "Some youkai was hiding in the woods when we got here," I had told him, "And whoever it was shot a poisoned dart at Kaiti. Then she fainted." "Shit," my dad had cursed, "Do you still have the dart? We need to know what type of poison it is." "Yeah," I had replied, "Here it is." When my mom had seen the arrow, she had went deathly pale. "Get Myouga," she had told my dad quietly, "And quickly. I know he's around here somewhere. We need to get the poison out of her now!" Suddenly, my dad had slapped the side of his neck and then looked into his hand. "Should have known you would already be here Myouga," he had said, "You never pass up a meal." "Aww Master Inuyasha," Myouga had said in his usual way, "I swore that I just heard my name and the mention of poison. How can I be of assistance?" My mom took over from there. We put Kaiti into her bed and Myouga had sucked all of the poison out of her system. "She'll just need some time to rest now," Myouga had told us calmly, "And then once she wakes, you'll need to give her a blood restorative. I can make some if you like." "Oh don't worry about that Myouga," my mom had told him, "I have some medicine that will take care of that." Soon after, Myouga had left. Now I sit at Kaiti's bedside, waiting for her to wake up.

It's after nightfall when Kaiti finally opens her eyes. "Kenmaru," she whispers softly. Her voice is very weak, but I can still hear her. "Thank Kami," I sigh in relief, "Thank goodness you're awake koi. I thought I was going to lose you." "What happened," she asks weakly, "All I remember is getting stung and then not being able to do anything at all." I take hold of one of her hands and use my free hand to brush some of her hair off of her forehead. "You were poisoned koi," I whisper, "There was a youkai waiting for us in the woods. As soon as you got out of the car, he shot a poisoned dart at you. Thankfully the old flea Myouga was nearby and was able to suck the poison out of your system." "So that's why I feel so weak huh," she asks softly, "Because Myouga had to suck some of my blood along with the poison?" "Yeah," I reply, "But you'll be better soon. Here, my mom told me to give you this when you woke up. It's an herb that'll help restore your blood." As I say this, I pick up the small cup of herb tea and go to hand it to her. She goes to sit up, but she falls back upon the pillows with a sigh. "Can you help me sit up Kenmaru," Kaiti asks softly, "I feel so weak right now." "Yeah," I whisper and set down the tea cup. Gently, I pull her up and let her lean against me. I then pick the tea back up and hold it to her lips. Understanding my actions, Kaiti opens her mouth and lets me pour the tea into her mouth. She drinks it slowly and sighs when it's all gone. "Thank you koi," she whispers lovingly, "You always take good care of me." I help her lay back down and kiss her tenderly on her forehead. "You're welcome," I whisper back, "I love you koishii. I'll always take care of you." "I know you will," she whispers back, "And I love you too." She sighs again before going back to sleep.

(Kaiti's POV)  
By the time that Monday morning came around, I was almost back to full strength. Kagome had even said that I was ok to go to school. Kenmaru, of course, was very worried about me pushing myself too far too soon. "Don't worry Kenmaru," I say with a sigh as I'm getting dressed for the day, "Your mom said that I'm well enough to go to school, and I feel fine. Besides, with all of the AP classes that we're in, I won't be able to catch up if I miss a day." "Fine," he grumbles, "But you're taking it easy today. I want you to save your strength. You never know when Naraku might decide to attack now. He thinks that you're either dead, or still weak from the poison." I give my hair one last brush and stand up. Turning to face him, I feel my expression soften at his concerned look. I sigh and walk over to him, where he wraps me in his embrace. I bury my head into his chest and breath deeply. "I could have lost you Kaiti," he whispers, "And after all we went through to defeat Naraku's last attempt to break us apart, I hate that he came so close to doing it again. Please koi, take it easy ok? For me?" "Oh Kenmaru," I murmur softly, "Don't worry, I'll take it easy. I hate feeling weak though, I always have. The poison, it scared me. I've never felt so weak in my entire life." Kenmaru just holds me tighter and whispers into my ear, "You don't have to be scared when I'm around koishii. I'll always protect you." His words comfort me, and I take a deep breath to settle myself. "Thanks koi," I say happily, "I needed that. Now let's go get some breakfast. I want some hot chocolate!" Kenmaru just laughs and says, "Alright, let's go."

After a wonderful breakfast of hot chocolate and strawberry waffles, I'm ready for the day. Kenmaru and I run into no problems on the way to school at all. But that fact doesn't lessen Kenmaru's protectiveness of me. The poison incident shook him up, like it did me. Both of us knew that Naraku could try it again if he wanted to. When we arrive at school, I'm immediately assaulted by a worried neko hanyou. "Geez sis calm down," I sigh, "I'm fine ok? I was cleared just this morning to come back to school. Don't worry about me." "Fine," she practically screeches, "How can you be just fine sis? You practically almost..." Thankfully, Kenmaru's hand interrupted her just as she was about to let the entire school know that I had been poisoned and almost died over the weekend. "Sis," I hiss at her, "Stop it. You're making a scene." "Fine," she pouts, "But you better take it easy today sis. You might be ok to come back to school, but that doesn't mean that you have to take everything full force yet you know?" "Exactly what I told her this morning," Kenmaru says calmly, "Don't worry Rissa. I'll take care of her. Even if she doesn't want me to." "You two are so protective of me," I sigh, "Thanks. I'm glad I have great friends like you." I feel Kenmaru wrap an arm around my waist as he says, "You're welcome koi. Now let's head to class." I sigh and nod my head as my body naturally responds to his touch. Leaning into him slightly, I wrap my arm around his waist as we walk towards the school building. Today is going to be a great day, I can tell.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
Today actually went pretty well considering that Kaiti was just recently poisoned over the weekend. We made it through all of our classes just fine, and lunch was a hilarious as ever. Sitting at lunch with Kaiti, Rissa, Blaze, Darnell, and the rest of our friends is always relaxing. And with Blaze and Darnell telling jokes the whole time, while Marrissa makes witty and sarcastic comments, well let's just say that lunch can get crazy sometimes. We never get into any trouble, but sometimes we all head back to class with our stomachs hurting from how much we had just laughed. When we got home from school, everything was peaceful. Kaiti and I got our homework done earlier than usual, and so Kaiti suggested that we have our night in that we never got to have. She had me set up the DVD while she prepared us a dinner that consisted of ramen, a delivered pizza, hot chocolate, and for dessert, microwave smores. Her parents and brother had gone out for the night to have dinner at their favorite Mexican restaurant, but we had passed on going out with them. We wanted to spend some time together actually relaxing for a change. "Ready to start the movie," Kaiti asks as she walks into the living room, "I've got everything set up in the kitchen if you're ready to fix your plate of food." "Let's grab our food first," I reply, "Then we'll start the movie."

I follow Kaiti into the kitchen and grin at the sight before me. "Wow koi," I say impressed by the amount of food in front of me, "You really out did yourself." "Thanks," she says and flashes me a grin, "I wanted everything to be perfect. We've not had a movie night together in so long." "Yeah I know," I reply, "And don't worry. It's perfect." Kaiti flashes me one of her beautiful grins and gestures to the food. "Well," she says, "Go ahead and dig in." "With pleasure," I say and grin back at her. We quickly fix ourselves plates of pizza accompanied by small bowls of ramen. Also, we each grab huge mugs full of steaming hot chocolate that each have marshmallows floating on top of the creamy liquid. Kaiti tells me that she'll wait until we're done to make the smores. "There so much better when they're warm," she says happily, "And it's always better to each dinner before dessert." "Fine by me," I tell her, "Ready to start the movie?" "Heck yeah I am," Kaiti says and grins, "Tonight is going to be awesome!" We walk into the living room and settle down together on the largest couch. The TV is still on the DVD menu, so I just pick up the remote and press play. I sense Kaiti's excitement and happiness start to pour off of her in waves as the opening scene begins to play. Smiling to myself, I take a quick bite of pizza and lay back to watch the movie. I love it when I make her happy. "Oh Phantom of the Opera," I suddenly hear Rissa squeal happily, "I love that movie! And I smell yummy food!" 

(Kaiti's POV)  
"Sis," I moan, "What are you doing?" Not even five minutes after the movie had started, Rissa had barged in squealing about the movie and food. "I smelt food," she says happily, oblivious to my annoyance, "Where is it?" "The kitchen sis," I reply, "Where else?" I look over at Kenmaru, who had known to pause the movie as soon as Rissa barged in. "Sorry," I say, "I should have known she would have done this. My sister is very nosey, and she loves pizza." "I am not nosey," Marrissa says from the kitchen, "But I do love pizza! Pizza with hot sauce, yum!" "Bleh," I mutter, "I don't know why you ruin perfectly good pizza with that crud. Hot sauce is nasty. And you are too nosey sis." She just laughs at me from where ever she is inside of the kitchen. "Hot sauce ain't nasty sis," she laughs, "At least I don't think so. And so what if I'm a little curious? I am a neko after all." "Yeah I know you are sis," I say a bit louder, "And you do know that curiosity kills the cat right?" Kenmaru begins to chuckle softly. "What's so funny eh," I ask him angrily. "Sorry koi," he replies and calms down, "It's just that when you two tease and argue with each other like that, I can see why you call each other sis. You have regular sibling rivalries often." I laugh then, knowing what he means. "Yeah," I say, "I guess you're right. Now it is a bit funny." "Well if you're finished laughing," Rissa says calmly as she walks back into the living room, "Let's start the movie back up. I love this movie. Want to duet during Meg and Christine's duet sis? I'll be Meg, you be Christine." I sigh and am about to answer her when a familiar evil aura begins to touch me.

"Damnit," Kenmaru swears, "He always comes at the worst of times." "Got that right," Rissa hisses, "Better call in the rest of the team eh?" "Yeah," Kenmaru says and pulls out his phone. He dials his parents' number and waits for a sec. Soon, he's telling his dad to come quickly and to bring the rest of the family. While Kenmaru calls his family, Rissa flips out her phone and sends a quick text to Blaze and Darnell. "Everyone will be here as soon as they can," Kenmaru says, "But we'll need to be ready in case he gets here before our reinforcements." "Right," I say and rise from the couch, "Rissa you better get your hammer ready girl. We'll have quite a lot of fighting on our hands soon." "With pleasure," Rissa says and grins wickedly. Both of my dear hanyous then pull off their concealment charms and hand them to me for safe keeping as usual. Marrissa's hammer is at her belt and Kenmaru's sword, Kouensha, is sheathed at his side. Placing my hands in front of me, I focus my powers and summon my trusty weapon. Soon, I hold my familiar slender, sliver staff. On each end, a sharp blade glows brilliantly with mystic blue aura. Along with my staff, spiritual armor also appears on my body, replacing the clothes I was wearing. I hadn't noticed it the first time I had fought Naraku, but the armor was a part of my using the staff. It looks much like the demon slayer's outfit that I had seen Sango wear in the anime, but the parts on hers that had been pink were blue on mine. "Let's go," I say confidently, "Naraku's gonna pay for poisoning me and also ruining my movie night." Kenmaru and Rissa both nod and we leave the house to wait for Naraku to show himself.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
When we all begin to feel Naraku's youki approaching, I curse and immediately call my family in for back up. Marrissa also sends quick texts to Blaze and Darnell. We haven't seen Naraku since the day he tried to set me on Kaiti and my family. There's no way to guess what he'll try, so we prepare for the worse. Both Marrissa and I take off our concealing charms and hand them to Kaiti. She places them around her neck and then summons her staff and armor to her. As we head out of the door, anger flashes in her eyes. She's out for payback. Naraku had done way too much lately to piss her off. I wince mentally at the intensity that Kaiti's anger can reach. Naraku is in for quite a defeat if he tries his usual cocky tricks. Not long after we reach the usual battle ground, Naraku's usual horde of youkai floods from the woods. Rissa pulls her hammer from its place at her belt and I pull Kouensha from its sheath. Before I can make a move, Marrissa jumps into the air and uses her momentum to swing the now very huge hammer. Bringing it down brutally upon the earth, she screams out, "Shockwave Thunder!" "Nice move sis," Kaiti says with a grin as one by one, all of the youkai are destroyed. "Thanks," says a calm Rissa, "It was no sweat really. I'm just warming up." "Knowing Naraku," I growl, "It's going to be your turn next koi. Be ready." "Right," Kaiti says and sets her body into a fighting stance, "I'll purify whatever the bastard throws at me."

My parents arrive moments later, the rest of the family not far behind. Behind them are Blaze and Darnell. "What we miss so far," my dad asks gruffly. "Not much," Kaiti replies, "Naraku has already sent his usual youkai wave, but Rissa took care of them." "Used the hammer did you," Darnell asks his girlfriend with a grin. "You bet," she replies and winks at him, "And I was just warming up." "Ok you two," Kaiti groans, "Stop flirting will you? You can do that afterwards." "Hmph," Rissa says, "Way to ruin my fun sis." "Well there isn't anymore time left for fun," I growl as Naraku's foul miasma begins to roll towards us, "Here comes Naraku's next wave." "I guess it's our turn now then," my mom says and looks at Kaiti, "Ready dear?" "You bet," Kaiti says and readies her staff, "Whenever you're ready." My mom raises her bow and notches an arrow. "Ready," she says, "Let's go." With a nod, they both attack at the same moment. Mom's arrow purifies half of the miasma while a swing from Kaiti's staff purifies the rest. "Good work girls," my dad says, "Now the real fight begins, because here comes Naraku." Naraku's disgusting stench suddenly fills the area as he steps out of the woods in front of us. "I see," Naraku sneers, "Everyone is all here. Not in the mood to play now are you?" "Bastard," I growl, "You're gonna pay for all that you've done to us. I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you." "Oh," Naraku says mockingly, "But you don't even know what I'm going to do this time. I sent no warning to the miko like I have done previously." "We don't care what you plan to do you bastard," Kaiti says angrily, "All we care about is finishing you off. You've caused enough trouble as it is. You're gonna lose Naraku. I'll make sure of it." "Hmm," Naraku says evilly, "It seems that Midoriko's reincarnation has quite the temper. I guess it's to be expected in the spirit of a warrior miko."

Kaiti gasps in shock. "What did you just call me," she asks stunned. "You heard me girl," Naraku says suddenly thrilled, "Did the pup not tell you then? I did tell him about this. I believe it was the very first night of his capture actually." I stand there shocked as well. Before he had said anything, I hadn't even remembered what he'd told me that first night. But now, I suddenly remember every single word that he said. He had told me about his theory of Kaiti being Midoriko's reincarnation, but I hadn't remembered until now. "Bastard," I growl at him, "What else did you do to me when you took control of me eh? I didn't remember you telling me this until just now. I would have told her if I had known." "Curse you pup," Naraku says angrily, "You noticed my small memory erase. No matter though. Now she knows why I've been watching her for all of this time." "Yeah," Kaiti says angrily, "Now I know why you've been trying to put me and the people I care about through living Hell. Just because you believe that my soul once belonged to Midoriko, you think that it's now yours for the taking. That's why I've gone through all of the crap you've thrown at me. You're trying to regain what you lost when you were defeated over half a millennia ago. Now you've really pissed me off." She looks up at him and glares at him fiercely. Fire burns in my koishii's eyes as she lectures the evil hanyou in front of her. "I'm not Midoriko bastard," she yells at him, "I'm my own person. My life and soul are my own. They're not yours for the taking. I'm not some sparkly jewel that you can just grab and control. This is my life, and I want you out of it!" Kaiti then raises her staff in front of her and her body forms a fighting stance. "I'm ready to end this," she growls at him, "We're about to send you back to Hell where you belong."


	10. Naraku Falls, But Another Rises

**Southern Love**

Chapter 10: Naraku Falls, But Another Rises 

(Kaiti's POV)  
I glare at Naraku as he just laughs at me. "What's so funny Naraku," I ask angrily. I quietly begin to read his aura, wanting to see what he's really feeling. "You really think that you can defeat me girl," he asks mockingly, "You are no where near as strong as me." As he says this, I begin to sense his fear. I glance quickly at Kenmaru, sending him a silent message. He nods in understanding, and I know that he too can sense Naraku's fear. "Is that so Naraku," I ask quietly, "Or are you afraid of being defeated once again? I can tell from your aura Naraku. You're scared right now, and I've not even attacked yet." "Impudent wench," he snarls, "There's no way that I will ever be scared by the likes of you." "Your aura says different Naraku," Kenmaru growls, "I can smell the stench of your fear from here." "Why you insolent pup," Naraku growls, "You are asking for death." With an angry roar, Naraku's tentacles suddenly begin to race towards us. "That old trick," I mutter, "He'll never learn." Gripping my staff a little tighter, I swing it with all of my might. "This ends today," I scream as I swing my staff. The blades on the ends glow brighter than I've ever seen before. In that instant, all of Naraku's tentacles vanish into a bright light. There's not even a speck of ash left for him to draw back to himself. He growls angrily and his body begins to sprout different appendages, all from different youkai that he has absorbed into himself. "You will pay for that girl," he sneers, "By the end of this night, your soul will be mine."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Kenmaru growls and holds Kouensha out in front of him, "I won't let you touch her." "Me either," Marrissa growls, "You'll eat my hammer before you can lay a hand on my sister." All of my other youkai and hanyou protectors growl in agreement. "Might as well give up Naraku," I say confidently, "You're not going to win. You're done for." Just then, Kenmaru's ear suddenly twitch towards my driveway. "Shit," he mumbles under his breath, "This isn't good." "What is it," I ask him quietly, "What do you hear?" "Your family is back from dinner," he replies, "And they have no clue what's going on." "Damnit," I mutter, "This isn't good." "Aww," Naraku sneers mockingly, "So your other weakness is arriving eh miko? Afraid to see them die are you?" "Bastard," I growl at him, "Lay one disgusting appendage on my family and I swear I'll kill you myself." "Don't worry about your family Kaiti," Emmy says suddenly, "We'll make sure they get inside ok." I turn and look to see Emmy and Jenna smiling at me. "Thanks chicas," I say gratefully, "I owe you one." They both just nod and go to help my family into the safety of our house. "What's going on here," my mom asks in panic. "Don't worry Mom," I tell her calmly, "Just follow Emmy and Jenna inside. They'll protect you." "Kaiti," my mom says frantically, "Please..." My dad silences her with a comforting hand on her arm. "Don't worry honey," he tells her calmly, "Kaiti know what she's doing. Besides, Kenmaru and the others will protect her. Come inside now." My mom nods and begins to follow Emmy and Jenna inside the house. "Be careful sweetie," I hear her say, "I love you." "Love you too Mom," I whisper, "Don't worry about me." "How sweet," Naraku sneers, "Saying your goodbyes already miko?" "Hell no," I growl at him, "You're the one who's going to die tonight, not me."

(Kenmaru's POV)  
Naraku just glares at Kaiti and suddenly attacks again. This time though, his attack is spread out. His different limbs aim for different victims. Kaiti and I deal with our many opponents quickly, as do the others. "I'm tired of this game," Naraku hisses angrily, "It's time that I finish this." Naraku rushes in for an attack, but a swipe from both mine and my dad's swords stop him. Kaiti also aims a swipe at him with her staff, which causes a large wave of purifying energy to crash into Naraku's body. Not much of it is left after the combined strength from our attacks. Meanwhile, Blaze, Darnell, and my brothers all face off against youkai which Naraku had suddenly called to aid him. "Sis," Kaiti suddenly yells out, "It's time for him to eat hammer!" "Right," Rissa says and grins, "Check this move out sis! You're gonna love it!" Then she leaps high into the air with intense speed, bringing her hammer with her. She begins to spin in the air and her momentum brings her hammer into the spin. Soon, she looks like a giant, glowing wheel in the sky. I feel Rissa's youki energy begin to swell as she begins to soar back towards Earth, and Naraku. "Eat this bastard," Marrissa shouts, "Tsukikage!" Still glowing with energy, her hammer smashes into Naraku and plows him into the ground. A large aftershock rocks the ground beneath my feet as Rissa's attack hits home. A large blast of dust comes back towards us, and I quickly shield myself and Kaiti from its onslaught.

Once the blast is clear, Kaiti looks up and begins to search for Marrissa. "Sis," Kaiti screams, "Where are you?" "Right up here," Rissa answers. I look up and see her sitting in the tree above us. I can't help but grin at her calm demeanor. "Nice move there cat," I say with a grin, "I think you at least knocked him out cold." "Hmph," Rissa says, "He should be a pancake right now." Suddenly, her hammer goes flying into the air and lands in front of us. "You'll pay for that neko," Naraku growls, "No one dares attack me and lives." I look over towards him and see that he's still alive, if not barely. What is left of his body is broken and bleeding. He'll definitely die tonight. "You're going to be the one to die Naraku," I growl at him, "It's time that you go back to Hell you bastard." "I'll help you with that," my dad growls and steps up beside me, "Let's do this together son." "Fine by me Dad," I reply, "You deserve to help send him back where he belongs." "Kenmaru," Kaiti says quietly and grabs my hand. I look into her eyes and see the fire there, as well as her love. "The three of us then," I say and give her hand a reassuring squeeze. She nods and steps forward. I look at my dad and he nods. I let go of Kaiti's hand to clasp Kouensha firmly. Together, my dad and I raise our swords and attack together. "Sacred Blade," I yell out. "Backlash Wave," my dad yells. Our attacks combine and begin to head towards Naraku. Raising her staff, Kaiti also lets loose her attack. "Purifying Force," she says calmly and swings her staff. Her attack combines with mine and my dad's just before they all hit Naraku. "Curse you all," Naraku yells out as the attacks reach him, "I will see you all in Hell." "Not likely bastard," Kaiti says calmly, "You'll be the only one here seen in Hell." Then, Naraku screams in agony and the rest of his body is destroyed. Nothing remains of the evil bastard.

(Kaiti's POV)  
After Naraku is destroyed, I grasp Kenmaru's hand and hold it tight. "Thank goodness," I whisper in relief, "It's over. Finally over." I feel Kenmaru squeeze my hand comfortingly and watch as he puts Kouensha back into its sheath. "We did it koi," he whispers into my ear, "Now you'll never have to worry about that bastard ever again." I lean into him and smile happily. "Finally," I whisper, "No more nightmares. No more having to look over my shoulder where ever I go. And no more fear of losing you. He's gone. He's finally gone." "Yeah," Kenmaru says happily and then grins at me wickedly, "And now I'll be able to actually take you out on real dates koi. No more having to hide out in your house all the time." I blush slightly and smile at him. "That would be nice," I tell him a bit nervously, "Even though, I've honestly never been out on a real date before." "Well we can change that," Kenmaru says, "Besides, after all that we've been through the past couple of months, you deserve to be able to go out and have some fun." I just blush a little more and continue to hold his hand. "Hey you two," Rissa says suddenly, "Stop flirting will you? You wouldn't let me and Darnell flirt earlier, so you two can't either." I sigh and roll my eyes. "That was earlier sis," I tell her, "The fight is over with now. Go ahead and flirt all you want. I don't give a crap if you two flirt now. Besides, I'm used to you flirting around me all the time." Darnell grins at me and then looks over at his girlfriend. "Hear that Rissa," he asks wickedly, "She said she doesn't care." "Great," I mutter, "Now I'm in for it. They won't stop now, no matter what I do." Kenmaru just laughs at me and kisses my forehead. "I don't mind it if you don't," he says, "Besides, I've gotten used to it too." We both begin to laugh then and turn to go inside my house. My parents need to know that I'm ok and that everything is over.

Before we even reach the porch steps, a sudden evil aura begins to fill the area. "What the hell," Kenmaru growls, "What's going on now?" A woman's voice suddenly begins to speak from nearby. "So," the woman's voice says, "It seems that Naraku failed to claim the miko's soul. What a shame. I had planned on taking it from him, but now it seems I'll have to claim it myself." I look towards the sound of the voice and see a slim inu youkai woman. Her hair is pure silver, like Inuyasha's, and but her eyes are blood red. Purple youkai symbols mark her face, just like the marks I had seen on Sessohmaru in the anime. "Damnit," Inuyasha growls, "I should have know that you were behind all of this Kurayami." "Hello to you too brother," Kurayami says mockingly, "I see that you must further intend to weaken our bloodline eh? Encouraging a relationship between a miko and young Kenmaru here, how disgusting." "I'm no brother of yours you evil bitch," Inuyasha growls at her, "Father disowned you remember? He banished you after you murdered your own mother in cold blood. You have no right to criticize the way I've raised my children." Kurayami glares at him and then turns her gaze on me and Kenmaru. Kenmaru growls at her and places me protectively behind his back. "Oh this won't due," she says mockingly, "I won't have my youngest nephew messing around with some weak human, especially since she's a miko. It's time I finally separate the two of you." Her words immediately piss me off. "Like Hell am I gonna let you touch Kaiti," Kenmaru growls at his aunt, "I'll kill you before you can lay a hand on her." "You wouldn't kill a member of your family would you Kenmaru," Kurayami asks mockingly, "I don't think you'd have the gall to do it. Falling for this human girl has softened you pup."

Now I'm really pissed off. I step out from behind Kenmaru and glare at the youkai before me. "Koi," Kenmaru says quietly, "What are you doing?" I look at him and I can tell that he senses my anger. I know that my eyes must be burning with anger right now. "I'm about to give this bitch a piece of my mind," I growl, "How dare she talk to you like that." "What's this," Kurayami asks with a sneer, "Does the miko have a bit of a temper?" "Shut up bitch," I yell at her, "How dare you talk to Kenmaru like that! You have no right to call him family! And how dare you try to tell him who he can and cannot be with! Kenmaru's life is his own. You have no control over him. And you won't have to worry about Kenmaru killing you, because if you try to separate us I'll kill you myself. There's no way in Hell that I'm going to let you ruin the best thing that has ever happened in my life. You got that bitch?" I'm seething now, wanting to yell at her some more, but I don't know what else to say. "You're quite a feisty one aren't you girl," Kurayami asks me quietly, "You would have to be to dare threaten me. If it weren't for the fact that I need that soul of yours, I would kill you for that." All of the other youkai and hanyou around me grow at her angrily. "We won't let you touch her," Kenmaru growls at her. "That's right," Rissa growls in agreement, "No one hurts my sis and gets away with it bitch." "Hmm, it seems I've made you all angry," Kurayami sneers, "This is quite amusing. Well I must be off now, but I'll be back. I have some plans to make before I come back to claim the soul of Midoriko." Before anyone can leap to attack her, she suddenly vanishes.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
"Damnit," I growl angrily, "She's gonna pay for what she's done." "If I know Kurayami," my dad growls angrily, "She's gonna put up quite a fight. You'll have to stall any date plans for now I'm afraid. It looks like we've got a new enemy to watch out for now." "Got that right," I reply, "But I never knew you had a sister Dad." "She's not my sister," my dad growls, "The same blood might flow through our veins, but she had been banished from our family long before I was even born. Your uncle Sessohmaru was just a teenager when she was banished. She was my father's firstborn and original heir to the Western Lands. But when Sessohmaru was born, she knew that father would make him the heir since he was the firstborn son. It's youkai royal tradition to make the firstborn son the heir. One night, she stole into her mother's room and killed her mother. She was about to kill Sessohmaru when Father caught her. She's been banished ever since. Before now, I've only seen her a few times in my life. Each time she tried to kill me and failed." "Well she's obviously power hungry," I growl, "And now she's after Kaiti. I don't like this Dad." "Me either," he replies, "I wonder how the hell she knew about Kaiti in the first place. It's obvious that she's the one who revived Naraku, and she sent him after Kaiti on purpose. She wanted him to do the dirty work for her. But we have no clue why." "Damnit," Kaiti says angrily, "And now me and my family are in danger again. All because she believes that I'm the reincarnation of Midoriko, she's going to come after me. I bet she thinks that if she gets a hold of my soul, she'll be able to recreate the Sacred Jewel. My soul is the only reason she wants me for. She doesn't give a crap about anything else, so she won't hesitate to hurt my friends and family. I'm the reason why everyone is in danger again and I can't go anything about it! Damnit!"

"Koi," I say calmly, "Everything will be alright. We'll deal with her like we did Naraku. You don't have to worry." Kaiti looks up at me and her eyes are filled with unshed tears. "I can't help but worry Kenmaru," she whispers softly, "Everyone is in danger again because of me. She's gonna come after me just like Naraku did. She plans to try to separate us, just like he did. I don't think I can take that happening again." Tears begin to stream down her cheeks and I pull her into my arms. I hold her as she cries, knowing that she needs the comfort. My dad walks up and whispers softly so that Kaiti can't hear. "We'll go inside and leave you two alone," he whispers quietly, "We need to tell her parents what going on anyway." I look into his eyes and nod slightly, grateful for his actions. Silently, everyone else goes inside the house, leaving me to comfort my koishii. "Please Kaiti," I whisper to her softly, "Don't cry koishii. I won't let any of that happen, not again. I'll protect you koi, I promise you. Please don't cry." Her tears finally begin to slow and she sniffles quietly. "I'm sorry koi," she whispers, "I just can't help it. The thought of losing you again scares me." "I know," I whisper tenderly, "But you don't have to be afraid. You won't lose me, not again. I won't let that happen. I can't lose you again either koi. I love you." "I love you too," she whispers and leans her head against my chest, "With all my heart koishii." Her tears finally stop then and with one hand I gently wipe all of the remaining tears off of her cheeks. Cupping her face in my hand, I lean down and touch my lips to hers. Our kiss is gentle and loving, and I don't want for it to have to end. But soon, we have to break apart for air. She sighs and lays her head on my chest again. I wrap my arms around her a bit tighter and bury my face into her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. There is no way in Hell that I'm going to let Kurayami take this away from me. I'd rather die than be separated from my koishii.


	11. A Wonderful Night

**Southern Love**

Chapter 11: A Wonderful Night 

(Kenmaru's POV)  
It's been a few months now since the night we killed Naraku. It's May now and winterguard season has finally ended for Kaiti and her colorguard team. I can tell that my koi is kinda sad that it's over at last. I know how much she loves colorguard, and as a senior, this year was her last year on the team. We haven't seen or heard from Kurayami either during these past few months. This worries us greatly. Kaiti has even started having nightmares again. So far, it seems that only when she is asleep in my arms that the nightmares don't come. I don't mind though. I'd do anything to protect her and keep her safe. Luckily though, Kaiti has something to look forward to. Tomorrow night is the night of our senior prom. Chapin High School has a tradition of having its junior/senior prom on the first weekend in May. The past few weeks, Kaiti has been secretly hiding her dress from me. When I asked her why, she told me that she wanted me to be surprised. The only advice she gave me on my tux was to make sure that is was traditional and that the tie had to be gold. I remember last year that Kaiti had gone alone, without a date. Instead, she had just hung out with me, Rissa, and all of her other friends. She had still looked beautiful though. Last year her dress had been aqua blue, and had been one of those strapless princess style prom dresses. The combination of that blue dress against her creamy skin along with the brightness of her fiery hair had been a beautiful sight. This year though, we were going as an official couple and were going to go out to dinner. I have planned quite a night for my koishii. I can't wait to see her surprised expression.

The next morning, Kaiti had to go to her hair stylist's studio to get her hair done for the night. Of course, she won't allow me to come with her. She wants me to be completely surprised when I see her later on tonight. And of course, in order to see her wishes fulfilled, my mom and Marrissa both agreed to go with her for protection. I have a suspicious feeling though that my mother and Rissa are in on Kaiti's planned surprise. Knowing the two of them, they had probably been there when Kaiti, her mom, Emmy, and Jenna had all gone out shopping for Kaiti's dress. It's around 10 o'clock when Kaiti, her mom, my mom, and Rissa are ready to leave for Kaiti's appointment. All of them were heading out the door and I was watching them go. Kaiti however, lags behind and tells the others that she'll be out in a minute. They all nod in understanding and flash grins my way. Yeah, they are all so in on the big surprise. The three of them all head out to the car while Kaiti comes up to me, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry," she says softly, "I know that you want to come with us. I just want you to be surprised is all. And besides, no matter how much I do want you to come with us, the other three will refuse. Especially your mom. She's really excited about all of this." "It's ok koi," I say with a sigh and pull her into my arms, "I know that you want it to be a surprise. Just be careful ok?" "Don't worry," she says softly, "I'll be careful." Reluctantly, she pulls out of my arms slightly and gives me a small kiss. Heading towards the door, she pauses and turns to me one last time. "We'll be gone for a while," she reminds me with a grin, "So you better be somewhere getting dressed when we get back. That way I can be surprised too. I'll see you when I come down the stairs for pictures." "Ok," I reply, "Don't worry about me. Besides, I have a surprise in store for you too." She just grins at me and waves as she walks out to the car. I sigh and head into the living room to watch some TV. Anything distracting is better for me right now. Kaiti would scold me if she knew that all I did was sit here and worry while she was gone.

(Kaiti's POV)  
As me and my excited entourage drive to my hair appointment, I can't help but worry about Kenmaru. Knowing him, he's probably worrying himself sick about me getting into some form of danger. "Maybe we should have let him come with us," I muse out loud, "I mean it's just my hair." "Oh don't worry about Kenmaru dear," Kagome says with a grin, "Knowing my son, he'll find something to distract himself from his worries. Besides, we want this to be a surprise remember? And it's not just your hair you're getting done. They're taking care of your makeup as well." "What," I yelp in surprise, "I thought this was just for my hair! You didn't tell me this would be a full makeover!" My mom laughs lightly and says, "Well you can't blame me sweetie. It was all Marrissa's and Kagome's idea." I look at my sister and Kagome in shock. Their evil grins confirm my mom's statement. Turning to Kagome I plead, "Please don't tell me that you paid for this too! I already told you that you did too much by getting the dress!" "Too late I'm afraid dear," Kagome says and winks, "Don't worry about it. We've been around so long, that our bank accounts are full of money. Besides, I'm glad to have a reason to finally spend some of it. My children never let me buy them anything anymore." "Are you sure," I ask her shocked, "I mean, you already refused to let my mom pay for my dress! And you already had Kenmaru's tux to worry about to begin with!" "Chill sis," Marrissa says calmly, "Let her do this for you. All of the older youkai and hanyou families have money stored away that sometimes never gets used. And plus, that dress looks awesome on you! And with the price of the thing, I bet that your mom is glad that Kagome bought it for you. That dress was quite expensive. I doubt that you would have even gotten the dress if Kagome hadn't been with us. Now stop looking your gift horse in the mouth and chill. Relax, because tonight is gonna go perfectly for you. I can tell that already."

I sigh and nod my head in defeat. The other three in the car cheer at the knowledge that they've won in this argument. They all want me to look amazing tonight. Especially my mom and Kagome. My mom because this is the first ever dance I've gone too with a date. Kagome because she's so happy that her youngest son has found someone to love. The rest of the way to the hair studio, I can't help but think about the amazing dress that I'll be wearing tonight. It's a slender dress made out of silky material. It's the color of molten gold and has one broad shoulder strap that goes over my right shoulder. On me, it hangs past my knees and almost sweeps the floor when I'm not in high heels. At the waist of the dress is a shiny silver band that glistens like diamonds. Overall, the dress is simple, yet elegant and beautiful. The golden color of the dress goes quite nicely with my fiery red hair and the silver band at the waist causes my blue eyes to seem brighter than they are. The shoes that I got to go with the dress are a set of golden high heels that are also simple, yet elegant. The only adornments on the shoes are the small rhinestone diamonds that glisten at the one simple strap on each shoe. As I think about my dress, I also begin to wonder about how my hair will be done. Knowing Kagome, she's already figured out the perfect look. More than likely, my hair will be up in a bun with some strands curled and hanging down against my cheeks. She's probably even bought some sort of accessory that will go in my hair or around my neck. I sigh and smile at the image in my head. Before I know it though, we're already at the studio. "Well come on dear," Kagome says with a grin, "It's time to pamper you."

Inside of the hair studio, my stylist, Deena, is already there and waiting for me. "Ok girl," she says with a grin, "It's time to beautify you. From what your mom told me, we're going to be doing a bun today with just a few strands of hair left down and curled slightly. Sound right?" I look over at my mom and Kagome and they just smile. "Yep," I reply, "Sounds good to me. Let's get started." So for the next hour or so, Deena styles my hair while asking me constant questions. "So," she starts out, "You're going to prom tonight right? So who's the lucky date for this year?" "My boyfriend," I answer her shyly, "His name is Kenmaru. And this here is his mom, Kagome." As I say this, I indicate the highly excited woman behind me. Looking at Deena, I see the flash of recognition in her eyes. Studying her closely, I discover that she's also a hanyou. Horse hanyou to be exact if my small charm is showing me the right image. "I'm guessing you recognize her name," I say softly, knowing that she can hear me, "I can see you, you know. Kenmaru gave me this little charm around my neck. It lets me see through yours." Looking around to make sure that no one else but the five of us are around, Mrs. Deena finally sighs. "Should have guessed that you would find out eventually girl," she says with a laugh, "Yeah I recognize Kagome's name. It's practically legend! And I'm guessing that Kenmaru is your youngest?" She directs her last question to Kagome, who nods. "Well," Deena says excitedly, "Do either of you have pictures? I want to see what type of guy is gonna be dancing with this soon to be ravishing girl sitting in front of me." "I do," I reply and pull out my cell phone, "Here he is with his charm on." Mrs. Deena studies the picture a moment before grinning wildly. "What a catch girl," she says slyly, "He's quite handsome, and he's only in his human form. And from the look in his eyes as he is looking into the camera, I can tell that he's a sweet boy. I knew you'd find you a great guy eventually." "Thanks," I reply and blush, "And he really is a great guy. He's perfect really. He's just so kind and loving, I don't know how else to describe him besides perfect." They all coo at that and my blush deepens. Knowing them, they won't let up until I'm all finished up.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
It's about 2:30 when Kaiti finally texts me that they've left the hair studio. She also tells me that they'll be gone for a little longer, because they've yet to eat lunch. "We should be home by four," she tells me, "So I'd start getting dressed around then." "Alright," I text back, "Just be careful koi." "Don't worry I will," she replies, "It's your mom I'm worried about. She's practically hyper she's so excited." "Sounds like her," I text back, "Having fun I'm guessing?" "I was," she texts back, "Until your mom and my hair stylist started cooing over how great I'm gonna look tonight. They were practically jumping up in down when they were finally finished with me." I laugh out loud before replying, "Sounds fun. Lol. Though you may want to keep an eye on my mom. Sounds like she's gonna go crazy soon with excitement." "She already has," Kaiti texts back, "Too late now. I'll see you when I get home ok? They're making me go now. They won't let me text you for too long, because they think I'll ruin the surprise." "Alright," I reply, "Be careful koi. I'll see you when you get here. Love you." "Love you too. 3," she sends back. I can't help but smile at the last message. Sighing, I lay back to enjoy a few more TV shows before I have to start getting ready. Our dinner reservations are at 5:45, so I'm not too worried about the time.

At 4 o'clock, Kaiti texts me that they've just pulled onto the dirt road that leads to her house. Knowing that they'll be here in just a few minutes, I sigh and get off of the couch. Stretching slightly, I quickly jog upstairs and grab my tux, tie, and all of the other things I'll need for getting ready. Soon, I'm back down stairs and in the back guest bedroom. For a moment, I debate showering, but decide that I might as well. I hop into the shower in the guest bathroom just moments before I hear the front door open and smell four familiar scents. Knowing that they're home and probably relieved that I'm no where in sight, I sigh and begin to cleanse myself. Of course, moments later I hear Marrissa declare that I'm in the shower and that they're free to begin getting Kaiti ready for the night. I hear my mom practically cheer before their footsteps tell me that they've all gone upstairs. About ten minutes later, I'm out of the shower and my hair is nice and dry. I take my time getting dressed, knowing that Kaiti is probably doing the same. By the time that my tux is completely on and I've pulled my hair back into a low ponytail and the base of my neck, it's already 4:45. Sighing, I finally exit the back room and move into the living room to wait for Kaiti. It's not five minutes later when my mom, Kaiti's mom, and Marrissa all hurry downstairs. Rissa is already dressed and ready to go. Darnell should arrive soon to pick her up. "Ok Kenmaru," my mom says excitedly, "Here she comes!" I nod and walk to the bottom of the staircase, not really wanting to wait for much longer.

Kaiti steps out of her room and turns to look down at me. I can't help but gasp at the sight out her. She wears a golden, one strap dress that almost reaches the floor. At the waist of the dress, a band of silver shines brightly in the light. Her hair is pulled back into a messy, yet elegant bun and with just a few strands curled and hanging around her face. She wears a dusting of makeup, which does nothing but enhance her beauty. Walking down the stairs, she smiles at me. Her eyes dance with love and happiness as she continues to look down at me. "Surprised," she asks softly, and I just smile. Nodding slightly, I say softly, "You look beautiful koi." She blushes slightly and her smile widens. "Thanks," she says and looks at me, "You look amazing too." Now it's my turn to blush slightly and smile at her. When she finally steps off of the bottom step, I wrap an arm around her waist and lead her into the living room. Smiling at her, I reach over and grab her corsage off of the coffee table and open the box that it is contained in. "Here," I say softly, "I hope you like it." "It's beautiful," she whispers as I slide the corsage onto her wrist, "I love it." "Picture time," Kaiti's mom says cheerfully, "Stand here you two." She indicates the open space that joins the living room to the kitchen and smiles. I pull Kaiti over to the spot and wrap my arms around her waist. Armed with cameras, my mom and her mom snap dozens of pictures. They even had me take my concealing charm off at one point to that they could both have some pictures of how I would look if I could go as I normally look. It's 5:15 when they finally stop. Marrissa and Darnell had long since left, but now before saying their goodbyes and assuring us that they'd see us at the dance. Finally, I'm able to lead Kaiti outside so that she can receive her surprise from me. 

(Kaiti's POV)  
When my mom and Kagome finally release us from picture time, a pleased grin forms on Kenmaru's lips. I begin to get suspicious as we walk out the door, but can't help but gasp at the sight in front of me. Parked in the driveway is a beautiful white, stretch limo. "Kenmaru," I whisper, "You didn't." "I did," he says and laughs, "Come on. We can't stand here forever koi." I can only nod and grasp his hand as we walk towards the limo. The driver stands by the door, holding it open for us. Without my charm, I can't see if he is a youkai or hanyou, but his aura tells me that he is definitely some form of youkai. "What did you do," I whisper softly, "Specifically ask for a youkai driver?" "No," Kenmaru responds, "This is my uncle's limo. He didn't need it tonight and let us borrow it." "Good evening Master Kenmaru," the driver greets warmly, "And good evening to you too Miss. We should arrive at the restaurant shortly. Also Master Kenmaru, your uncle would like to speak with you and meet your young lady here. There is a video phone set up and waiting." "Thank you Hiro," Kenmaru responds politely. Gently, he helps me into the lavish backseat of the limo. "Your uncle wants to meet me," I whisper shocked, "Why is that?" "Probably because my parents have already told him about you," Kenmaru says easily, "Knowing them, they told him just how important you are to me. And Uncle makes it his business to know who is important to his family." "Really," I ask worriedly, "But what if he doesn't like me?" Kenmaru gives me a look that says, "You've got to be kidding me." "Don't worry koi," he says lovingly, "He'll love you. Just relax ok?" "Ok," I whisper.

By now, the door had been shut and we were on our way to dinner. "We better call Uncle," Kenmaru says calmly, "Don't want to keep him waiting." I only nod as my brain goes into mental panic mode. Sensing my tension, Kenmaru quickly and expertly draws me into his arms. "Stop worrying koi," he murmurs into my ear, "You'll be fine. I'm right here, so just relax." Burying my face into his neck, I take a deep breath to steady myself. "Alright," I say finally and sit up, "Go ahead and call him." Nodding, Kenmaru smoothly lets his fingers play over the video phone keypad. After dialing, he quickly takes off his concealing charm. "Uncle hates having to disguise ourselves," he explains calmly, "So he insists that we all not wear our charms when talking to him privately." I nod and wait nervously for the legendary Sessohmaru to answer our call. Moments later, the video screen flickers to life and the face of a very calm inu taiyoukai fills the screen. "Hello nephew," Sessohmaru greets warmly, "It's been a while since we've last spoken. How are things?" "The same as usual," Kenmaru replies, "I'm guessing that Dad told you about our new enemy?" Scowling, Sessohmaru replies, "Yes. It does not surprise me that Kurayami would make this kind of move against our family. She has been quite bitter for hundreds of years." Then his expression brightens when he notices me sitting at Kenmaru's side. "Aww," he says with a glimmer in his eyes, "Is this the young lady your parents have told me so much about? She's exactly as they described." "Yes Uncle," Kenmaru replies, "This is Kaiti Shealy. My wonderful girlfriend and beautiful miko." I can't help but blush slightly at Kenmaru's praise. Knowing that I have to answer however, I say, "It's nice to finally meet you sir. And thank you for lending us your limo for tonight. I'm not used to such generosity quite yet, no matter how much Kenmaru and the rest of your family show it. I'm very grateful." "You're very welcome young lady," Sessohmaru responds warmly, "And knowing my sister-in-law, you'll be very used to our family's generosity quite soon." Turning to Kenmaru, he says, "You've chosen well Kenmaru. This young lady is quite charming. She reminds me of your mother actually, when your mother acts shy that is." "She's more like Mom than you know Uncle," Kenmaru responds with a soft laugh, "Not only is she a miko, but she's got a bit of a temper too. We avoid angering her, just like we avoid angering Mom." I glare at him fiercely and mutter, "Keep talking about it and you might see my temper tonight baka." Sobering immediately, Kenmaru replies, "Sorry koi. I don't want to anger you tonight. Besides, Rissa would kill me if I brought you to prom with you angry." "Got that right," I say with a wicked grin, "My sister does love protecting my state of mind." Sudden laughter from the video screen causes me to blush nearly scarlet. "Once again nephew," Sessohmaru says warmly, "You've chosen well. I'll let you go for now so that you might enjoy your evening. Hopefully we can talk again soon." "Ok Uncle," Kenmaru replies, "Thank you again and I look forward to our next talk."

Once the call is ended, I realize that we've stopped moving. "Have we reached the restaurant already," I ask stunned. "Yeah," Kenmaru replies and replaces his necklace around his neck, "Come on. Let's go eat." I nod and climb out of the limo behind him. I gasp when I notice that he has brought us to one of the fanciest places in Columbia, the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. "Oh wow," I exclaim softly, "Koi you didn't!" "I did," he replies and shoots me a loving grin, "I want you to enjoy tonight." "Thank you koishii," I murmur as he leads me inside. He just replies by placing a tender kiss to my forehead. Going up to the hostess stand, he says, "We have a reservation. It'll be Taisho party of two." "Right this way sir," the hostess says with a pleasant smile, "Your table is already set." We follow her to a beautiful little alcove that contains a small, romantically lit table. "Oh Kenmaru," I whisper, "This is perfect. I don't know how I'm ever going to thank you!" "You already have," he replies lovingly as we sit down, "By just being yourself, you deserve tonight and much more from me." I smile at him lovingly and grasp his hand across the table. "Thank you," I murmur, "You didn't have to do this you know." "Yes I did," he replies and squeezes my hand, "You've done too much for me not to do at least something for you. If it wasn't for you koi, I might not be here right now." "And that's the same reason why you shouldn't have done this," I reply, "You're so good to me. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here either. If you hadn't come back to me on Christmas Day, I don't know what I would have done with my life. You've given me so much already, and without you, my life wouldn't mean anything to me. And now here you are treating me almost like a queen, when really you deserve this kind of treatment from me." I look into his now shining eyes and see all of his love there in that one expression. "I love you koishii," he whispers softly and grasps my hand a bit tighter, "And I always will. Let me take care of you tonight ok?" Feeling happiness swell up in me, I can only nod and whisper, "I love you too."

(Kenamru's POV)  
After dinner, the limo picked us up once again to take us to the site of this year's prom. The theme for this year was "Everlasting Love", which seemed to fit Kaiti and I perfectly. Of course, we go through the usual prom picture routine and then go in search of our friends. We find them all quickly, thanks to my nose. Rissa and Darnell are both enjoying themselves immensely, with Rissa pulling Darnell out onto the dance floor for almost every song. Blaze and his girlfriend also go out on the dance floor quite often. When a familiar slow song begins to play, I pull Kaiti out onto the dance floor. "You know this song right," I ask her in a whisper. "Yeah," she replies, "How could I not koi? It's our song after all." As Lady Antebellum's When You Gotta Good Thing begins to play, I pull her close to me so that I can bury my face into her hair while we dance. Her head leans against my chest as the first verse begins. "Everybody keeps telling me that I'm such a lucky man," the singer begins, "Lookin' at you standing there I know I am. Barefooted beauty with eyes that blue, sunshine sure does look good on you I swear." The girl then begins to sing, and Kaiti begins to sing softly with her, "Oh I can't believe I finally found you baby. Happy ever after, after all this time. Oh there's gonna be some ups and downs, but with you to wrap your arms around I'm fine." I know that Kaiti is singing to me, so when the chorus begins, I pull her even closer. "So baby, hold on tight. Don't let go! Hold on to the love we're makin', 'Cause baby when the ground starts shakin' you gotta know, when you got a good thing," the two singers croon out. At the next verse, I decide to sing the man's part softly, so that only Kaiti can hear. " You know you keep bringin' out the best in me, And I need you now, even more than the air I breathe," I sing softy into her ear. I hear her sigh happily as she continues to sing the woman's part.

By the end of the dance, I really don't want to let go of her. That one single dance had been so perfect, that I didn't want it to be over already. Finally, Kaiti declared that she was tired and wanted to go home. We had been at prom for over four hours, and I could tell that my koishii was getting tired from all of our dancing. Agreeing with her, we tell our friends goodbye and leave prom behind. Once in the limo, Kaiti sags into me and rests her head against me. Our driver, the kitsune hanyou Hiro, only smiles back at us. "I trust you two had a wonderful evening," he asks us warmly. I merely nod and then smile as Kaiti cuddles closer to me. "I guess it's time to get you two home," Hiro says softly, "She's gonna be out like a light soon." "Yeah I know," I reply, "But she'll be alright once I get her home and in her bed. She won't wake up until late tomorrow morning probably." I hear Kaiti yawn and looking down at her, I see that she's fast asleep, just as Hiro had predicted. "She's really something isn't she," Hiro murmurs quietly, "Your uncle is right pup, you did choose well. I see you two being very happy for many, many years to come." "Thanks Hiro," I reply, "That's what I'm hoping for." He nods in understanding and drives us home, being extra careful not to wake up the sleeping miko in my arms. Once we're home, he bids us good night and leaves. Gently, I cradle Kaiti's sleeping form in my arms and carry her inside the house. Seeing her daughter so completely tired, Kaiti's mom had me take her to her bedroom and then wait while she undressed and then redressed her sleeping daughter. When she comes out into the hall to tell me that I can enter Kaiti's room once more, I've already changed into my comfortable sweats for the night. She just grins at me as I go into Kaiti's room and lean against her bed. I hear Kaiti's mom crawl into bed beside her husband just as Kaiti begins to whimper in her sleep. Noting the usual signs of a nightmare, I quickly crawl into bed with Kaiti and pull her into my arms. Finally sighing happily, she cuddles into me and settles back down. Soon, I join my koishii in dreamland while remembering our wonderful night together.


	12. Changing A Dream

**Southern Love**

Chapter 12: Changing a Dream

(Kaiti's POV)

I know that I'm dreaming. Never before have I been to this place that I find myself in now. The last thing I remember before finding myself here was Kenmaru's sweet good night kiss. Now I find myself in a room that looks much like a torture chamber. An evil aura fills the room, even in my dream. Turning, I find myself watching as Kurayami stands over the body of what appears to be a human girl. I know that it has to be a girl, because the whimpers coming from her throat are soft and feminine and her curly, dirty blonde hair is pulled back into a familiar looking ponytail. Kurayami doesn't seem to notice me at all as I stand here. Then a comforting presence enters the dream. "Kaiti," I hear my protector's voice say softly, "What is this place?" Turning, I see Kenmaru standing beside me. "A dream," I answer calmly, "I think this is a warning of what Kurayami is planning next." "We're having the same dream," Kenmaru says in awe, "How is this possible?" "I don't know koi," I answer truthfully, "But I think it has something to do with this." Saying that, I place my hand over his heart, and he smiles at me. "I think you're right," he says softly. I smile at him but have to turn back to the scene before us when a eerily familiar yelp erupts from the throat of Kurayami's poor victim. "Oh God," I whisper, "What is she doing to her?" From Kurayami's hand flows what looks like a constant stream of her own youki. And as the power flows from Kurayami's hand, it immediately enters the body of the young girl, causing her to scream in agony. "Arise my servant," Kurayami commands the girl before her, "The seal I had placed upon you is broken. Your inner youkai is now awake once more. Now go forth and do what I command of you. You are to destroy my nephew and his miko lover. Do not fail me. Failure will cost you your life."

As the last words leave Kurayami's lips, a feral growl erupts from the girl. Her blonde hair turns pure silver, except for a few jet black splotches. Her nails lengthen into claws and a long, catlike tail the same color as her hair sprouts from her lower back. "No," the girl now turned hanyou growls, "I will not hurt my friends." She raises her head and a familiar face is now visible to my eyes. "Sarah," I whisper fearfully, "How is this possible?" "Kurayami must have found her long ago and sealed her demon blood," Kenmaru growls angrily, "Snow leopard youkai and hanyou are always very powerful. And now Kurayami has broken the seal in order to use Sarah as a tool against us." Kurayami's wild snarl suddenly fills the room. "You dare defy me," she snarls angrily, "After I rescued you from that run down orphanage and found you a new father to take care of you? If it wasn't for me you insolent pup, you would be dead by now." "Well it's obvious now that all along you've only intended to use me as a tool," Sarah hisses angrily, "You should have kept my memories sealed when you broke the seal on my blood. I remember everything now, how you murdered my parents and then placed a spell on me to make me human and forget who I am. And now you expect me to kill two of my closest friends. There's no way in hell that I'm going to take orders from you, you murderer! Now get out of my dream!" With another angry growl, Sarah rises up and slashes at Kurayami, who disappears. Then she turns back towards Kenmaru and me. From the look in her eyes, I know that she can see us. "Aunt Kaiti," Sarah whispers, "Help please." Those are the last words I hear before the dream dissolves.

(Kenmaru's POV)

It bolt awake as soon as the dream ends. "Did that really just happen," I ask myself as I sit there dazed. "Sarah," I hear Kaiti gasp out as she bolts awake. Then she begins to cry. Leaping up, I go and wrap Kaiti into my arms to comfort her. "Did you have the dream too koi," I ask her softly. She nods and lays her head against my chest. "We've go to do something Kenmaru," she whispers softly, "I don't want anything bad happening to Sarah. She's like family koi, and I hate to see her in danger." "Don't worry," I reply softly and kiss her forehead, "We'll figure out something. If Sarah remembers the dream and the seal on her inner youkai has really been broken, then she'll come to us. It might be best if we bring her here and add her to the permanent guard." Kaiti's eyes brighten. "That's a great idea," she says excitedly, "My parents absolutely adore her anyway and she absolutely hates having to go home to her dad. And with us here, Kurayami can't touch her." "Then it's settled," I say calmly, "It'll let my parents and Marrissa know what's going on and you can explain to your parents. If it's possible, we'll have Sarah settled in here tonight." Happily, Kaiti places her lips to mine in a chaste kiss before hopping out of my arms and going over to her closet. "Now shoo koi," she says calmly, "I have to get ready for school. You know the drill." "Yeah I know," I sigh and smile at her, "Meet you down stairs for breakfast." She nods and then closes the door behind me as I leave the bedroom.

Once dressed, I go downstairs and find my parents and Marrissa already waiting on me. Looking over at them, I know that they can tell something has happened. "What is it this time son," my dad asks seriously, "Another dream vision?" "Yeah," I reply, "And this time Kaiti wasn't the only one to have the dream. I did too, and we think that one other person did as well." "Who," Rissa asks in concern, "Who else do you think had the same dream as you and Kaiti." "Sarah," I reply while looking her straight in the eye, "It seems that this whole time, Kurayami had a seal on her demon blood and her childhood memories. Sarah is a snow leopard hanyou Rissa, and a strong one too." "Is Sarah a friend of yours from school dear," my mom asks calmly, "Because it seems that not only you and Kaiti know her, but also Marrissa here. The look on your faces tells me that all of you are close friends." "Yeah Mom," I reply, "Sarah is a friend of ours. She's been friends with Kaiti and Marrissa before we even moved here. Sarah is one of the younger kids that Marrissa 'adopted' into our little school 'family'." "I always knew that there was something about Sarah," Rissa says quietly, "I guess some inner instinct was telling me that she was a hanyou all along. So is Kurayami after Sarah now too?" I nod and look at her sadly. "Before the dream ended," I say calmly, "Sarah asked us specifically for help. Kurayami wants control of Sarah in order to use her as our executioner. Luckily though, Kurayami forgot to keep Sarah's memories sealed and she remembers everything from her childhood. She won't serve Kurayami, especially not when that evil witch murdered Sarah's real parents." "What do you plan to do son," my dad asks calmly, "It's obvious that we can't allow Sarah to go about unprotected. Kurayami will kill her for defying her wishes." Just then Kaiti comes down the stairs. "She's going to come and live here with us," she says calmly, "I just talked with my parents. They've always adored Sarah and see her as another daughter, just like they see Rissa. She's welcome to stay here as long as she needs to." "The team just keeps getting bigger and bigger," Rissa says with a grin, "And I'm enjoying every new addition."

(Kaiti's POV)

When we get to school, Sarah is the first person we see. "Aunt Kaiti," she says joyfully and races over to give me a hug. I notice that around her neck now lays a necklace similar to Rissa's and Kenmaru's. Touching the small charm that Kenmaru had given me a few months back, I see that last night's dream had come true. "Sarah," I whisper happily, "I'm so glad to see you." She pulls back and looks into my eyes. "You remember then," she asks quietly, "You remember the dream?" I nod and pull her into another hug. "Don't worry Niece," I tell her quietly, "You're coming home with Kenmaru and me today. We're not going to let her touch you ever again." "Really," she asks me happily, "You'd really do that? What about your parents?" I smile at her before saying, "Of course silly. And plus, when I told my parents about you being in danger, they immediately agreed. They know all about Kenmaru, you, and basically every other youkai or hanyou friend of mine. Why else do you think that Kenmaru and I come to school together everyday?" She pulls back and looks over at Kenmaru, who's grinning at us calmly. "You're living with Kaiti," she asks him in surprise. He nods and replies, "Yep. How else do you think I've protected her from Kurayami at night eh? And it's not just me. My parents, my brothers, Rissa and a ton of other people all switch off on perimeter watch. But unlike them, you're being added to permanent watch with me. You'll stay with us from now on until you don't need to any longer." I grin at him happily and walk over to his side, where he wraps his arms around my waist. "Come on you two," I say happily, "We don't want to be late for 1st block. We'll all meet at the car after school." They both nod and the rest of the day begins.

When we arrive home from school, an unwelcome sight greets us. Kenmaru's parents and his brothers are facing off against Kurayami, who apparently has been waiting on us. "There you are," she sneers at us, "Finally I can punish the ungrateful pup that deliberately disobeyed me." Kenmaru and I place ourselves in front of Sarah and glare at Kurayami. After handing his concealing charm to me, Kenmaru draws his sword and growls at her angrily. Placing the necklace around my own neck, I quickly summon my staff to me. "We won't let you touch her bitch," I growl angrily, "You've done enough to her already. I'm going to make you pay for what you did to Sarah and her family." With an angry shout, I slash my blade staff at Kurayami and unleash a large wave of purifying energy. Right behind me, Kenmaru shouts out, "Sacred Blade," and unleashes his own attack. Our two attacks combine and race towards Kurayami. She tries to dodge, but the combined attacks still hit her in the arm. Snarling in pain, Kurayami grabs her arm and glares at us. "How dare you," she roars, "A filthy half-breed and his miko lover injuring me! You shall pay for that!" She goes to attack us, but is blocked by the growling figure of Sarah. "Leave my friends alone you monster," Sarah screams at her, "You deserve every injury imaginable for what you have done. Not only did you murder my parents in cold blood, but you're also trying to kill the most pure-hearted person that I know. You deserve to die for your crimes!" Sarah's claws glow brightly as she leaps at Kurayami. "Ice Claws," she cries and swipes at the evil youkai. Kurayami snarls in pain once again before she finally backs away from us. "You will all pay for this," she growls angrily, "Mark my words. The next battle shall be the end of this." With that, she disappears.


	13. No More High School

**Southern Love**

Chapter 13: No More High School

(Kenmaru's POV)

I can't believe that the whole year has gone by so fast. Sure, Kaiti and I have been through quite a lot this year, but still it seems like yesterday that I'd first kissed her. Right now, I sit close to her in the high school gym for Class Night. The whole senior class is here, and we were asked to all dress in white. Kaiti's white sundress is beautiful and contrasts nicely with her fiery hair. One by one, all of the senior wills are read out by one of our fellow classmates. So far, most kids have willed off gag gifts to friends, mementos to their families, or things for the underclassmen that they are going to be leaving behind here. I smile when Kaiti and her other senior colorguard team members stand with their gifts. "We, the senior members of the CHS Flight Colorguard," the speaker reads out, "Being of performing minds and show ready bodies, do here by give to the team we are leaving behind, some things to remember us by. We'll miss all of you, and you'll always be our Flight sisters." The beautiful smile on Kaiti's face as she hugs each team member makes me feel so content. I can't help but feel a little sad though as a few tears slip down her cheeks. I know that she's really going to miss them all. It's not long after that when I hear the beginning words of the will Kaiti and I had made together. "We, Kaiti Shealy and Kenmaru Tashio, being of very thankful minds and Duke bound bodies, do here by give to our families a few things to thank you for all that you've done for us. To our moms, photo albums filled with pictures of all of us together. Thank you for all of your love and support. To our dads, we give you boxes of tissues for when our moms cry as we go off to college and a few assorted gift cards so that you can take them out to dinner every once and a while. Thank you for being the most wonderful dads in the world to us." Of course, when Kaiti and I go to give our gifts to our parents, both of us are attacked by our crying mothers and end up receiving many hugs from them before our dads can even reach us. After that, the rest of Class Night went by smoothly.

A few days later, a graduation party is thrown at Kaiti's house for both of us. All of our friends and family are there, including Uncle Sessohmaru. The hallway is fills up with gifts quickly and eventually we have to move them all upstairs out of the way. Of course, there are a few humans at the party who have no clue about hanyou and youkai, so every person with demon blood wears a concealment charm of some sort. It's interesting seeing Uncle disguised as a human, since it's rare for him to wear a charm around family. Both my mom and Kaiti's mom cooked up a storm and so no one went hungry. It isn't until around 3 o'clock that the last guest leaves, which leaves us only a few hours before we have to arrive at the Carolina Coliseum for the graduation ceremony. After today, Kaiti and I will officially be Chapin High School graduates. And hopefully once the whole mess with Kurayami is sorted out, I'll be able to ask Kaiti if she'll be mine forever. Back on the day that Kaiti had gone shopping for her prom dress, I had gone shopping not for a tux, but for a ring. Everyday since then, I've kept the small, velvet box in my pants pocket for safekeeping. It's not long before I hear Kaiti calling my name. "Kenmaru," she calls out, "We need to leave now in order to get a good parking spot at the Coliseum." "Coming koi," I call back and quickly rush to her side. In her hands she holds her cap and gown, which are identical to the ones in my own hands. Hopping into my car, we head on over to the Coliseum for the ceremony that we've waited all year for.

(Kaiti's POV)

Once we arrive at the Coliseum, Kenmaru is immediately dragged away by an already dressed teacher to the guys changing area. "See you in a few minutes koishii," I whisper knowing that he can hear me. I see him grin back at me as the teacher leads him away. It's not long before I find the girls changing area and enter an empty stall. I quickly dawn my cap and gown, but an uneasy feeling suddenly hits me. I know this feeling. It only comes to me on the day before a battle. I sigh, knowing that after this peaceful day there will be another day of violence and possible bloodshed. I shutter at the thought of Kenmaru or any of my other protectors getting hurt. I don't want any of their precious blood to be spilt. Soon, our entire senior class gathers and lines up for the processional. Kenmaru stands not too far behind me and I can sense his youki trying to calm my nerves. Thanks to him being picked as the class speaker and I being the valedictorian, both of us will have to go up early to take our seats on the platform. A few minutes later, we're seated and the processional is over. I can't help but look over at the concert band with sympathy, knowing too well how much effort it takes to play the melody to Pomp and Circumstance over and over again. Before I know it, it's Kenmaru's turn to speak. Of course, I listen to every word. Despite his sometimes gruff exterior, my koishii is a wonderful public speaker. Cheers and shouts burst from the crowd along with much applause when he's done. I stand, knowing that it's my turn to speak. As I walk past Kenmaru, his hand brushes mine and I am immediately much calmer than I had been the moment before. "Well class of 2012," I begin calmly, "We did it. Today we graduate from high school and the rest of the world is ours to enjoy." As I speak, I notice that everyone listens with rapt attention. Apparently they like my speech. A few times, a few laughs and giggles burst from the mass of my fellow classmates as I describe fond memories of what we're leaving behind. When I'm finished with what I had prepared, I can't help but add on, "Class of 2012, we've finally made it. And now, we're free to go out into the world and follow our hearts where ever they lead us. We did it y'all, we did it."

After the ceremony ends, Kenmaru and I meet up in order to go find our parents. Of course, Marrissa finds us before we find our parents and immediately tries to hug the life out of us. "Oh my gosh," Rissa squeals in delight, "We did it sis! No more high school!" I laugh happily and hug her back. "I know sis, I know," I reply happily, "And in the fall, I'm going to be a freshman at Duke University. You're going to have to come visit me you know?" "Of course," Rissa replies, "I'm so proud of you by the way! Out of thousands of applicants, you were one of only eight to receive a full academic scholarship!" "You're not the only one proud of her," Kenmaru says behind me. Rissa giggles and let's go of me so that my wonderful koishii can wrap his arms around me. "I'm glad that Duke accepted me as well," he says softly, "I doubt I could have you away from me for that long koi." I sigh and lean back into his embrace, a peaceful smile settling on my lips. "I know," I reply softly, "I wouldn't have been able to even imagine being away from you for that long either." He smiles at me and then looks up and a sparkle begins to play in his eyes. "Our parents are outside," he says with a laugh, "And man is my dad proud. The pride is practically oozing from his aura." I laugh as the familiar feel of Inuyasha's aura brushes mine. "You're right about that," I laugh, "Let's go before he begins making a scene while bragging about you." "And you too," Kenmaru adds quietly, "My parents practically already see you as another daughter you know." "Yeah," I reply softly and smile, "I'm glad that they do. They're like family to me too." We race outside and finally find our parents. Of course, both Kenmaru and I receive numerous congratulations from the people around us and each of us receives a bear hug from each of Kenmaru's brothers and Inuyasha himself. At that moment, my uneasy feeling is completely forgotten. Right now, everything feels perfect.

(Kenmaru's POV)

After the graduation ceremony, both my parents and Kaiti's parents insist that we go out to dinner at one of the fanciest restaurants in town. Of course, it was my parents who insisted on the restaurant. Kaiti's parents just wanted to celebrate. It took some persuasion, but they finally agreed to go when my parents told them that they wanted to repay Kaiti and them for all they had done for them. After all, Kaiti's parents had practically took me on as an extra child. And they even trusted me enough to allow for me to sleep in their daughter's room alone with her. Plus, Kaiti's mom had insisted on feeding everyone that had helped out in protecting Kaiti, no matter how much food she had to cook. My parents truly were grateful for all that they had done, as well as for bringing Kaiti into the world. My parents had already made it a point to tell me many times that they fully expected and blessed my and Kaiti's future mating. They want her to be a part of the family as much as I do. As we headed to the restaurant, my parents led the way in their car. Kaiti's parents followed behind them and Kaiti and I drove behind her parents. It wasn't long before we reached the restaurant, and I wasn't at all surprised to see Uncle Sessohmaru's limo already parked in the parking lot, along with Marrissa's car.

Heading inside of the restaurant, we are immediately greeted by a very excited Marrissa. She practically flies up to us and gives Kaiti and me both huge hugs. "Oh my gosh," she says excitedly, "I can't believe that I'm actually about to eat at one of the fanciest places in town! Y'all are such great friends!" Kaiti and I both smile at her and laugh at her excitement. Of course when I look up, Uncle is looking straight at us. Still smiling, I pull Kaiti with me as I walk over towards him. "Joining us for dinner Uncle," I ask politely. "Yes," he answers calmly, "I did not really get to enjoy your company earlier today because of the amount of guests you had milling around. It is nice to enjoy a quiet dinner with my family and a few friends. Oh and before I forget, I would like to tell you that both of you did very well on your speeches during the ceremony. Never could I have imagined that a group of teenagers would sit silently for so long just listening to one of their peers." I see Kaiti blush a little at his praise and can't help but smile even more. "Thank you sir," she says politely, "I must admit that I was quite nervous about speaking tonight. Before Kenmaru moved here, I was never quite popular with most of my classmates. But after Kenmaru came into my life and they came to get to know me, I found that I had more friends than I could have ever imagined. To be honest sir, if it wasn't for Kenmaru I probably wouldn't be the person I am right now." "It wasn't all me you know," I tell her calmly, "Even on the day I first met you, I knew that you would be someone to watch out for. With a personality like yours koi, it's hard not to imagine you being as successful as you are." "Thank you Kenmaru," she says softly and blushes even more, "I've worked really hard to get to where I am." "And it shows my dear," Uncle says sincerely, "Now, let's go to supper. After sitting in that Coliseum for almost two hours, I'm ready for some food and good company." Kaiti and I both nod and follow behind him as a waiter comes and leads us to our table.

(Kaiti's POV)

Dinner tonight was amazing. Never had I ever imagined that I would get to actually socialize and talk informally with Lord Sessohmaru, the current Inu no Taisho. And as it turns out, he's not as bad as the anime had portrayed him. Of course, I know that this is because over the hundreds of years, he has taken a mate and had many children. It didn't surprise me one bit to find out that he had chosen Kagura to be his mate. She joined us not long after the waiter took our drink orders. Rin was also with her. From what they had told me, Sessohmaru did finally adopt her as his daughter and therefore was able to extend her life to that of a youkai's. I loved meeting them and felt very humbled when Kagura actually hugged me and thanked me for helping Inuyasha and Kenmaru to send Naraku back to his grave. I knew she hated Naraku, but her heartfelt thanks surprised me. Of course, they all teased Kenmaru and me about whether or not we would be able to control ourselves while at Duke. Instead of staying in a regular dorm, we had opted to rent an apartment for the two of us near campus. After many months of having him near me while I sleep and experiencing what it's like not to have his presence nearby, I didn't want to be separated from him by something as simple as housing arrangements.

Of course, Sessohmaru had ruined their fun by saying that if we did do anything like that, Kenmaru and I would be official mates. "And," he had said calmly, "Knowing my nephew, he won't do such a thing without first having a human ceremony." I can't help but blush now as I remember his words. Of course, my parents had immediately welcomed the idea of Kenmaru and me becoming official spouses to one another. "Besides," my mother had said sincerely, "I know that in Kenmaru, my daughter will have the best man I could ever entrust her to. I am really thankful for just how much he has protected my daughter and shown just how much he cares." Kenmaru had blushed slightly at her statement, but his slight embarrassment didn't stop the smile from forming on his lips. After my mom had said those words, he had looked at me and all of his love was in that one glance. If it hadn't been for the fact that we were out in public, I would have kissed him passionately right then and there. Whenever I see his eyes so full of love, I know that he's the only man I'll ever need or want. No one else could compare to Kenmaru in my eyes. After all of the teasing though, there was another small scene when my parents and Kenmaru's had both tried to convince Sessohmaru that he did not have to pay for everyone's dinner. Of course, Inuyasha was the loudest of them all. "Stop making a fool of yourself brother," Sessohmaru had said affectionately, "It's not everyday that I get to share a meal with you and your family. And also I have waited long enough to actually get to speak with the miko who has obviously captured my nephew's heart. Now just shut up and let me pay for the meal." After that, Inuyasha had just sat down and grumbled. Laughing at him, the whole issue was forgotten and the check was taken care of.

Now, I lay in bed and try to get some sleep. The uneasy feeling from earlier had returned when we arrived home. Of course with Kurayami still lurking about, Kenmaru's parents had decided to stay the night as the perimeter watch. Marrissa and the others were all on my speed dial in case something happened in the night or the next day. Hopefully, I might be able to sleep in since tomorrow is a Saturday. From his spot leaning against the side of my bed, Kenmaru looks over at me and smiles softly. "You need to get some sleep koi," he says lovingly, "It's been a long day. I know that you must be tired." "Yeah I am," I reply softly, "But I have the same uneasy feeling I always feel right before a battle. Something's going to happen tomorrow Kenmaru, I just know it. And thinking about it makes it hard for me to sleep." Kenmaru sighs and rises from his sitting position. Coming over to me, he leans down and wraps me in his arms. "Everything will be ok koi," he whispers softly, "I won't let anything happen to you. Don't worry and go ahead and sleep. I'll protect you." I smile and sigh happily into his chest. "Thank you koi," I murmur, "I needed that." Pulling back slightly, he smiles at me before gently touching his lips to mine in a loving kiss. I sigh as we finally break away from each other. Gently, Kenmaru tucks me back into my bed and then kisses my forehead. "Sleep koishii," he murmurs, "Tomorrow is a new day. I love you." "I love you too," I murmur just before my eyes close and I'm taken away to the land of dreams.


	14. Final Battle, New Beginning

**Southern Love**

Chapter 14: Final Battle, New Beginning

(Kenmaru's POV)

As I lean against the side of Kaiti's bed and take in the first light of the new morning, intense tension stiffens my body. Kurayami's foul aura had begun to pervade the surrounding area mere moments before the sun finally began to rise. I look over at my koishii as she begins to stir from her sleep. Kaiti's lips form a concerned frown as her eyelids begin to flutter. I can't help but release a low growl as Kurayami's presence grows even stronger, which causes Kaiti to come to complete wakefulness. "Damnit," she mutters angrily, "I can't even try to sleep in on a Saturday without her showing up." "It seems that way, doesn't it," I ask with a sigh, "And from the emotions in her aura, I can tell that she's determined to finish this today. This is it koi, the final battle." Looking into her eyes, I see understanding, fear, and most of all love. Slowly, she sits up and runs her hands through her long, red hair. Turning back to me, she whispers, "Kenmaru, I'm scared. There's so much that I could lose today. I don't want to lose anything though. Not my family, not my friends, not my soul, and especially not you."

Once those words leave her lips, I am immediately at her side. Wrapping her in my arms, I do my best to comfort and reassure her. Her delicate hands clutch my shirt with a vice-like grip, telling me that she doesn't want to let go. The faint smell of salt begins to fill my nose as warm tears dampen my shirt. "Koishii," I whisper and bury my nose into her hair, "Please don't cry. Everything's going to be ok. As long as we're together, everything will be ok." She lifts her head up and I can see the tear tracks running down her cheeks. Her eyes meet mine and a faint smile graces her lips. "You always know just what to say Kenmaru," she murmurs lovingly, "Thank you koi. I needed to hear that." I just smile and pull her closer. Gently, I place my lips on hers in a tender kiss. Having her with me, that's all of the comfort I need.

It's not until after lunch that Kurayami decides to finally come out of hiding. My dad and I both growl at the same time as we feel her aura spike to it's highest level, telling us that she has reached the property surrounding the house. Kaiti grabs my hand and entwines her fingers with mine. Her touch calms me and I give her hand a comforting squeeze. My other hand reaches down into my front pants pocket in order to touch the small, velvet box hidden there. Once everything is finally over today, it will no longer stay hidden. I look over at my parents and they nod in understanding of what my eyes are telling them. With a sigh, I reach up and grasp the beads hanging at my throat. Pulling the necklace over my head and off of my neck, I hand it to Kaiti, who places it around her own neck. My mom and dad do the same and then head out of the door ahead of us. Raising her free hand in front of her, Kaiti summons her blade staff to her and grips it tightly. "Ready," I ask her quietly. "Yeah," she answers and looks into my eyes. Her blue eyes are filled with determination. "Let's go," she says calmly, "I'm ready for this." Nodding, I give her hand one more squeeze before we walk out of the door to face the battle ahead.

(Kaiti's POV)

I knew that today was going to be the final battle. I have had the same uneasy feeling since I first began dawning my cap and gown yesterday afternoon. Every battle so far, the same uneasy feelings has come to me sometime during the day before. Today though, I'm more scared than ever before. Kurayami's entire aura pulses with confidence. She believes that she has already won and is just here to claim her prize, me. Thankfully though, I have Kenmaru, who always knows just what to say or do to comfort me. Having him in my life is something I definitely don't want to lose, not ever. Stepping out of my house, I'm grateful that we sent my family away for the day. I have a feeling that this battle will be one they don't want to witness. Kenmaru continues to hold my hand as we walk over to stand with our other fighters. Marrissa, Darnell, Sarah, and Blaze all stand at the ready, knowing that Kurayami will surely bring along many lower level youkai for them to fight. Beside them stand Taisho, Kiba, Emmy, and Jenna. They will also fight the lower level youkai that Kurayami will bring. Kurayami herself will have to deal with me, Kenmaru, Inuyasha and Kagome. It's going to be a hard fight.

Moments after Kenmaru and I join the others, lower level youkai begin to pour out of the woods on all sides of my house. All eight of our extra fighters leap straight to it, and the battle begins. Of course, right behind her youkai servants comes Kurayami herself. "Greetings," she sneers, "I guess that I should be flattered to face the four of you by myself, but I'm not. It will not take long for me to destroy all of you. This ends today." "You're right Kurayami," I reply coolly, "This does end today. But you're going to be the one dead in the end." "Big words for a little miko," she says mockingly, "I wonder how many more big words you'll say once this fight is down to just the two of us." Kenmaru and Inuyasha both growl at her angrily as they draw their swords. The Tetsusaiga and Kouensha both shine like diamonds in the early afternoon sunlight and give off waves of power. Sudden movement in the woods behind Kurayami causes me to notice hoards of lower level youkai still waiting for their turn to fight. Then by some invisible signal, they spring forward towards Inuyasha and Kagome, enveloping them in battle. Now there are only three of us left, two versus one.

Laughing evilly, Kurayami begins to launch her attacks. As Kenmaru and I dodge and deliver our own blows, I begin to notice the growing distance forming between us. "Kenmaru," I cry out, "She's trying to put distance between us. We need to close the gap." Just as I warn Kenmaru of her strategy, Kurayami aims a large blast of power towards me. It is an attack I am unable to dodge or fully block. Noticing the danger heading my way, Kenmaru leaps into the path of Kurayami's blast, and the attack changes direction. As it heads straight for him, I am unable to react quickly enough to purify the blast of dangerous youki. I can only watch as the blast races towards him and solidifies into a large spear of energy. My koishii takes the attack head on and a blinding light fills the air as an explosion sounds. "Kenmaru," I scream as I watch him fly through the air. Blood begins to soak his shirt before he even falls back down to Earth. Finally, his entire body slams into a large tree and lays motionless. "Kenmaru," I scream desperately and run to his side. Blood now completely soaks the cloth of his shirt surrounding the wound in his chest. His eyes remain closed and as I touch his hand, I do not feel a pulse. "Kenmaru," I ask fearfully, "Koi, can you hear me? Kenmaru, please open your eyes! Say something please! Kenmaru, please wake up!" I press my hands to his wound in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. Behind me, I hear a grief and anger filled roar tear from Inuyasha's throat as he destroys all of the youkai surrounding him in one slash of his sword. "Damn you bitch," I faintly hear him scream at Kurayami, "You will pay for this." By now, tears have filled my eyes and I have begun to choke back sobs. As I hear Kagome's wail of anguish, I begin to sob aloud. "No," I sob in distraught, "This can't be happening! Kenmaru please no, not now! Don't die on me koishii, please! I need you Kenmaru! Please wake up!" Then I hear something that makes my blood boil in rage. "The insolent pup had it coming to him," Kurayami sneers nastily, "From the very day I first saw him with that weak miko of his, I knew what his intentions were. We already have one miko in our family and we do not need another. Now he can never take the girl as his mate. Now come miko, he can no longer protect you. Give up now and surrender your powers to me." At her words, something inside of me shatters. A barrier I had not known was there broke at her words and every ounce of my body's spiritual abilities flow through me. Grief ridden and filled with anger, I rise to face her. She will pay for taking my koishii away.

(Kenmaru's POV)

The instant that Kurayami's blast hit me, my world went black. Waking up, I couldn't help but notice that I was no longer in Kaiti's backyard. Instead, I lay in a large field of wild grasses. Sitting up slowly, I take in the scene around me. The only building in sight is a simple hut standing by a small garden. In the garden, I see a woman bent to her work. I'm not quite sure if she knows I am here. But when she looks up at me, I know that she has been waiting for me to arrive here, where ever here is. With a serene smile, she beckons me over to her. Standing up, I take in a deep breath and make my approach. "The time is finally upon us," the woman says calmly, "I knew this day would come." As I get closer, I begin to notice that her face looks familiar somehow. "Excuse me," I say politely, "But I have no idea where I am or what you're talking about. And I need to get home as soon as possible. Someone there needs me." "I know Kenmaru dear," the woman says calmly, "But you must wait. Do not worry though my dear, the kami have assured us that you will not have to wait long." I look at her in shock. "How do you know my name," I ask her in awe, "And why do I have to wait?" Smiling at me, she replies, "What type of grandmother would I be if I didn't watch over my grandchildren and know their names? Your grandfather and I have been watching over you ever since the day you were born, just as we watched your father grow up, meet your mother, and defeat Naraku. I always knew my son would make a great father someday. Even as a pup, he was exactly like his own father in every way." "And that's how you knew he'd make a great father koi," replies the voice of a man from within the hut, "Just because he was like me as a pup?" I turn to watch as a tall inu taiyoukai exits the hut and walks over towards us. "Exactly," my grandmother replies and smiles at him lovingly before turning back to me, "Your grandfather can explain why you have to wait my dear. The kami gave him the means to do so, not me."

I stare at them dumbfounded for a few moments before asking, "So you're my grandparents? You two are Dad's parents?" "That's right my boy," my grandfather says calmly, "I'm your dad's 'old man' as he calls me. I've grown quite proud of your father. I just wish I could be there to tell him just how proud I am. That's my only regret that I have as I watch all of you go about your lives. Being in Heaven is peaceful, but not always joyful." "Wait a minute," I say in shock, "Did you just say that we're in Heaven? I can't be here yet! I have to get back home! Kaiti needs me." "We know she does dear," my grandmother says gently, "But right now, you must wait. You will be with her again soon, do not worry. Once she has defeated Kurayami and punished her for going against the will of the kami, you will be back at her side. Once she has made the wish, you shall live again and the future will happen as it should." "I don't understand," I say in frustration, "Why am I dead if I'm not supposed to be dead?" My grandfather sighs and says, "It would be best if we showed you what is occurring. By the time you are back at Kaiti's side, you will know why this had to happen." Raising a hand before him, a mirror forms in front of us. Inside of its depths, I can see my home. All of the lower level youkai are now gone and only Kurayami remains. I can see my body slumped against a tree, blood covering my shirt. I can hear the angry, grief ridden growls ripping through the throats of my friends and family, who are all being held back by an extremely large barrier. Only Kaiti and Kurayami stand inside of the barrier. I'm glad to see them all safe and for the most part unhurt, but hate the fact that I can see my blood staining the hands of my koishii.

Through the mirror, I can feel Kaiti's aura and the emotions that run rampart in it. Anger and grief pour off of her in waves, causing her aura to be very visible. The light blue color of Kaiti's aura whips around her, which causes her beautiful, fire red hair to whip around behind her. My koi's eyes are bluer than I've ever seen them before and they're as hard and cold as ice. All of this stuns me greatly, but then she begins to speak. "Kurayami," Kaiti says sternly, her voice a mix of her own and that of another woman, "You have defied the will of the kami and they have had enough. In my last life, I was unable to punish you for your crimes when my soul became trapped inside of the Shikon Jewel. Now in this life, I am going to deliver upon you righteous punishment. For now not only have you defied the kami's will, but you have also taken the life of the one I love. As Midoriko, the kami warned me that this might happen after I had been reincarnated into this new life, and so now not only have they given me the right to punish, but also the ability to fix the mess that you made in our lives." "You insolent miko," Kurayami sneers, "Do you mean to tell me that the kami wish for you to use your ultimate gift in order to revive the half-breed which now lies dead?" Understanding dawns on me that not only is Kaiti speaking to Kurayami, but also the part of Kaiti that once was Midoriko. Apparently, it has always been Kaiti's destiny to defeat Kurayami, even back when she was Midoriko. "Yes," Kaiti replies calmly, "Now Kurayami, it is time for you to receive your Sacred Punishment!" The last two words that leave Kaiti's lips are said in Kaiti's voice alone. Gripping her blade staff, Kaiti gracefully spins and slashes with her staff in order to release a large wave of spiritual energy, killing Kurayami instantly.

(Kaiti's POV)

I don't even wait to watch Kurayami dissolve into youkai ash. As soon as I unleash my final attack, I race over to Kenmaru's body and pray that it's not too late to bring him back. When I was talking to Kurayami before as both myself and Midoriko, my former self passed onto me the knowledge of how to make the single wish that only my soul can grant. The barrier that I had thrown up dissolves completely as soon as I take my attention off of maintaining it. I fall to my knees beside Kenmaru and feel the tears beginning to flood my eyes once again. "Please let this work," I whisper pleadingly, "Kenmaru I need you." Placing shaking hands above the wound in Kenmaru's chest, I begin to pull spiritual energy from deep within my soul as I whisper my wish. "Please dear kami," I plead, "Kenmaru does not deserve to die like this. Please give him back the life he so willingly gave up for me." Feeling an answering presence touch my aura and a slight drain in my powers, I lift my hands from Kenmaru's chest and lay my head against his heart, waiting for it to beat again. When I finally hear the first calming thump inside of his chest, tears of relief begin to fall from my eyes. I hear him begin to breathe and then suddenly his arms wrap around me. "Kaiti," he whispers lovingly and buries is face into my hair. "Kenmaru," I sob in relief, "Oh thank goodness!" Reaching up with my hands, I clutch his ruined shirt desperately and pull myself closer to him. "I was so scared," I sob, "I thought that I'd lost you for good!" "It's ok koishii," he whispers into my ear, "You did it. You saved me. I'm here now and I don't plan to ever leave you again. I promise."

We continue to hold each other close, even as Kagome comes running up to hug her son. "Thank goodness my baby's alright," she whispers in relief, "You had us so worried." "I'm sorry Mom," Kenmaru replies sincerely, "I didn't mean to worry you so much." "I know," Kagome answers, "You're just like your father. You never mean to worry anyone, but as soon as someone you love is in danger, you don't hesitate to take action. I'm just glad that everything turned out ok and that you're safe." Giving both Kenmaru and I one last loving hug each, Kagome then rises and goes to stand with her mate, who leans against a nearby tree with a relieved smile on his face. The next person to attack us with a hug is Marrissa. "Don't you ever do that again dog boy," she whispers sternly, "I've grown too fond of you for you to die on us like that. And I don't want to ever have to worry about Kaiti's happiness ever again you hear me?" "Yeah Rissa, I hear you," Kenmaru replies and smiles at her, "Don't worry, I don't plan on doing anything like that ever again." Rissa finally pulls away and then Kenmaru's brothers both envelop us in bear hugs in order to show how relieved they are that their little brother is alive and well. Throughout every hug and relieved whisper, Kenmaru and I never let go of each other. And to be honest, I never want to have to let go. I've almost lost him forever far too many times and if it happens ever again, I'd probably break down. But luckily, all of our problems are over now. No longer do I have to go to bed at night afraid of either Kenmaru or I being attacked in our sleep. No longer will I have to worry about being afraid of being alone in public places. And also, I still have my koishii, which gives me more joy than anything else.

(Kenmaru's POV)

Once everyone has finally finished welcoming me back to the world of the living, I look over towards my parents and see them smiling at me. They both nod in understanding of my silent message and give me their silent blessing. My dad even winks at me before they quietly round everyone else up and lead them inside of the house. I continue to hold Kaiti close to me, not wanting to let go for an instant, even though I'll have to in order to do what I'm about to do. I reach into my pants pocket and finger the small, velvet box gently before raising my head to look towards the house. Sure enough, everyone is clustered at the windows watching us. I can hear my dad trying to calm everyone down so that he can hear, which causes an amused smirk to cross my lips briefly. I can also hear Marrissa telling Blaze to pay up. Apparently they had bet on when I would eventually do this. Taking in a deep breath, I fill my nose with Kaiti's calming scent and try to relax. "Kaiti," I finally say calmly, "I need to ask you something." Sitting up to look me in the eye, Kaiti asks curiously, "What is it Kenmaru? Is something wrong." "No," I reply, "Nothing's wrong at all." Finally, I pull my hand out of my pants pocket and draw the box out with it. She looks down at it and her eyes immediately fill with love and happy tears. "Kenmaru," she whispers lovingly, "Is that what I think it is?" "Yeah," I reply in a whisper, "And I've been waiting to do this for months now. Ever since that week before Christmas, I've known that there's no way I can live without you Kaiti." Gently grasping the box in both hands, I slowly open the lid to reveal the diamond ring inside. "Koishii," I whisper tenderly, "Will you become my wife and mate? Will you marry me Kaiti Shealy and make me the happiest man in the world?"

I watch as the happiness and love in Kaiti's eyes increase one hundred fold and tears begin to leak down her cheeks. "Oh Kenmaru," she exclaims, "Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" Before I can even place the ring on her finger, her arms wrap around my neck as she places her lips on mine in a passionate kiss. We don't break apart until the need for air reaches its peak. Taking the opportunity, I take the ring into my hand and slide it onto her finger before she can attack my lips with hers once more. From where we sit underneath the tree, even Kaiti is able to hear the happy shouts of joy and celebration. She giggles at the sound of the obvious congratulations being aimed right at us. "I'm guessing they all knew before I did huh," she asks teasingly. "Nah not all of them," I reply, "Mom and Dad knew of course and Marrissa. The others didn't know until Dad told them to be quiet as soon as they got inside the house. I probably shouldn't have told Marrissa though, because she just robbed Blaze of a great deal of money." "She made a bet with him didn't she," Kaiti asks knowingly, "That's so like my sister." "Yeah, she did," I reply with a laugh, "And now Blaze is $500 poorer." We both laugh at that happily before Kaiti finally places one last chaste kiss on my lips before standing up. "We better go inside," she says and giggles, "We don't want to spoil their celebration by staying out here the whole time. And also, we need to change." Looking down at myself, I sigh at the sight of my ruined shirt. "Yeah," I reply, "Let's go." I rise and then we walk back towards the house hand in hand. A smile never leaves my face the rest of the day. Today was the ending of danger and the beginning of a wonderful new life. And in a mere matter of possibly only a few weeks, Kaiti and I will finally be bound together forever.


	15. The Best Day of Our Lives

**Southern Love**

Chapter 15: The Best Day of Our Lives

(Kaiti's POV)  
It's been three weeks since the final battle with Kurayami and Kenmaru's proposal. When we had told my parents about wanting to get married, they had agreed with Kenmaru that the wedding should be held as soon as possible. Of course thanks to Kenmaru's family and their connections throughout the state, everything from the wedding cake to finding my dress was taken care of quickly. We had decided to hold the wedding at my house in the large, open clearing that had housed the final battle. It was not only to be a place of an ending, but also a place of a brand new beginning. I had asked for the pastor of my church, Pastor Brett, to perform the ceremony. He had readily agreed after being reassured that I did indeed know about Kenmaru being a hanyou and was told our story. Now I stand in my room, which had become the bridal headquarters for the day. All of my bridesmaids are now gathered around me, helping me with the final touches to my dress and hair. In all, there are five of them. Marrissa, of course, is my maid of honor. Right behind her is Sarah as the second bridesmaid. My friends, Natalie, Gemma, and Shawna make up the last three of the group. Of course, Gemma and Shawna happen to be completely human and know nothing about hanyou or youkai existing, so the youkai and hanyou that will be present today all have to wear their concealing charms. This did not sit well with Sessohmaru at first, but he changed his mind when learning that the two humans were really close friends of mine that I wanted to have present.

"Ok girl," Gemma says finally, "You're done. Kenmaru sure is a lucky guy to have a bride as beautiful as you. Take a look at yourself." I smile at her and turn around to look at myself in the full length mirror that temporarily occupied my room for the day. "Oh wow," I whisper in shock. The girl in the mirror is absolutely stunning. I can't believe that it's actually me. "You are all geniuses," I say with a happy sigh, "I look so amazing!" "It didn't take much sis," Rissa says sincerely, "All it took was a dress, a hairdo, and very light makeup. The rest is all you girl." "Thanks sis," I murmur as I continue to look at myself in the mirror. The dress that I wear is one of those strapless princess dresses that flows out behind me. The creamy satin material is pure white, like snow, and feels soft as silk to the touch. And even though I can't see it, I know that the simple floral pattern running down the center of my back all the way to the hem of the train must look like a stream of flowers flowing down my back like water. My fire red hair is pulled up elaborately, yet simply. The loose strands that hang upon my cheeks are curled neatly and give my face a beautiful frame. A simple, yet elegant tiara sits in my hair and attached to it is a simple veil. The makeup on my face isn't much, but it still looks amazing. Of course I had no part in the makeup. Marrissa took that task into her own hands and refused to hear any suggestions from me. She told me that she knew makeup far better than I did and that she needed to handle my face for the wedding. One look in the mirror when she was done, and I knew that Kenmaru would be floored when I walked down the aisle today.

"It's almost time," I whisper excitedly, "I can't believe this is actually happening. I'm actually about to marry the man of my dreams. Oh my god, I'm so nervous." "Don't worry sis," Rissa reassures me, "You and Kenmaru were born for each other. I honestly can't think of any guy that I'd rather have as a brother-in-law than Kenmaru. He's perfect for you sis." "Rissa's right Kaiti," Sarah agrees calmly, "There's no way on Earth that there'd be anyone better for you than him. You're a lucky girl to find your soulmate so young." "Thanks y'all," I say happily, "I do feel really lucky. It's almost as if today was meant to happen." "I think so too," Shawna says sincerely, "The first time I laid my eyes on you and Kenmaru together, I couldn't help but just know that the two of you were meant to be. Call it a friend's intuition if you must." "And I'm not surprised you're already marrying him," Natalie adds calmly, "I can tell how much you two love each other. Nothing is ever going to be able to separate you two after today." I look over at Natalie and see the knowing grin on her face. Turning to look at Marrissa and Sarah, I also see knowing grins on their faces. Since they all have youkai blood in their veins, they know that tonight Kenmaru and I will be truly bound together by every part of our beings. And to youkai and hanyou, I know that nothing is more sacred than a mate bond. Just then, my mom opens my door. "It's time sweetie," she says excitedly, "Kenmaru's waiting for you." I can feel my heartbeat begin to race as happiness fills my entire being. And knowing Kenmaru, he can hear all the way from his position at the alter. I know that I'm more than ready for this.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
Not long before Kaiti comes out of the house, I can hear her heart begin to race as complete joy fills her aura. I can't wait to see her walking down the aisle. When she steps out of the house, just seeing her from the side makes my heart begin to race like crazy. I've not even seen her face yet, and already I think that she's the most beautiful creature I've ever seen. All of the bridesmaids walk in front of her and come down the aisle one by one. As the maid of honor, Marrissa is the last to come down the aisle before Kaiti herself. "Stop drooling dog boy," I hear her say just loud enough for me to hear, "You don't want to ruin that tux early do you?" An amused smirk graces Rissa's lips as she takes her place at the alter. Of course she would be thinking about my reaction to the sight of Kaiti with such amusement. She probably made sure that Kaiti looked extra amazing just to see the expression on my face. Then, Kaiti and her dad start to head down the aisle. A beautiful smile lights up her stunning face as she walks towards me. Looking at her, I'm completely paralyzed by how beautiful she looks. The pure white dress she wears causes her fire red hair to stand out to the point that it seems to shine with a beautiful glitter. And her eyes, I can't even describe. When they reach the alter, the pastor asks, "Who gives this woman to this man in marriage?" "I do," her dad says proudly and gently lifts her veil. Then placing her hand in mine, he smiles at me and takes his place sitting beside Kaiti's already tearful mother. Of course, my own mom sits beside her with the same tears in her eyes. I'm now very glad that we bought them so many boxes of tissues for their senior gift from us. Each one of our mother's will no doubt use at least a full box during the ceremony alone.

Throughout the ceremony, I can't help but stare at Kaiti. The smile never leaves her face as she stares straight back at me. Finally, the pastor asks me, "Kenmaru Tashio, do you take Kaiti Shealy as your lawfully wedded wife? To cherish and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?" "I do," I answer lovingly. Damn I can't believe how this woman in front of me make me feel. I know that I've never been this happy in my life until now. Then the pastor asks Kaiti, "Kaiti Shealy, do you take Kenmaru Tashio as your lawfully wedded husband? To cherish and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?" "I do," Kaiti answers immediately, her heart in her eyes. Turning to me, the pastor then says, "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." Without hesitating, I cup Kaiti's face in my hands and bring my lips to hers. I pour my entire being into the kiss, feeling complete joy at the fact that Kaiti is now one step closer to being mine forever. We are now bound by human law, and soon will be bound by youkai law. Pulling away from her finally, we are congratulated by many shouts and whistles from the onlookers. Finally the pastor announces, "I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Kenmaru Tashio." Immediately, we are swamped by well wishers and family. With an arm wrapped around Kaiti's waist, I can't help but smile as every fiber of my being radiates happiness. Of course, our parents are the last to be able to get to us. My dad immediately winks at me before hugging Kaiti warmly. "Welcome the family," he tells her sincerely, "I always knew that one day Kenmaru would find someone like you." "Thank you so much," Kaiti replies happily, "Thank you for everything. This wouldn't have been possible without your help." "Keh, it was nothing," my dad replies with a grin, "Anything for one of my pups."

I smile at him and begin to give him my thanks when an unfamiliar car pulls up into Kaiti's driveway. However, the person that steps out of the car is very familiar. "Oh shit," I groan, "This isn't going to be good." "Kenmaru," Tsubaki says cheerfully, "I finally found you! Did you miss me?" "Kenmaru," Kaiti says sternly, "Who is this?" Before I can answer, Tsubaki answers for me. "I'm Tsubaki," she says confidently, "I'm Kenmaru's girlfriend. Who are you?" I cringe as Kaiti's aura begins to fill with anger. "Kaiti," she answers through clenched teeth, "I'm Kenmaru's wife, and you just crashed our wedding." Tsubaki looks at us in pure shock, which is soon replaced by pure anger. "What the hell did you just say," she asks coldly, "I must have not heard you right, because Kenmaru would never marry some southern piece of trash like you when he's got me around." "Tsubaki," I growl angrily, "Leave now. I will not tolerate you insulting my wife. Get out of here before I have to forcibly remove you. Besides, I never dated you remember? I didn't want to date an uptight bitch like you, who only wanted me for my money. Now get lost." "How dare you insult me like that," Tsubaki shrieks at me, "First you take some southern slut for a wife and now you call me the bitch? You're lucky I was ever even interested in you! You don't deserve your money or your title you filthy half-breed!" "Hey bitch," I hear Sarah growl behind me, "What did you just call my friend?" Stepping in front of me, Sarah glares at Tsubaki with pure hatred and balls her hands up into fists. Kaiti steps up beside her, her hands also balled up into fists. "You heard her Sarah," Kaiti says coldly, "This piece of trash just called me a slut and Kenmaru a filthy half-breed. Now step back so that I can get my hands on her." "Nope," Sarah growls, "I want a piece of her too." "So do I," Rissa growls and steps up beside Kaiti, "NO one insults my sis and brother-in-law and gets away with it."

I can't help but wince as all three of the women in front of me pull back their fists and as a team sock Tsubaki in the face. She immediately falls to the ground with a sharp cry, and I rush up to grab Kaiti by the waist before she can really pound on Tsubaki. "Nice punch koi," I whisper into her ear, "But I think between Sarah and Marrissa, she'll be punished enough. I don't want your beautiful wedding dress to be ruined before it's time." At that, she blushes slightly and sighs. "Neither do I," she replies calmly, "I just got so angry when she insulted us. How dare she crash our wedding? From what I read in her aura, she knew full well that we were getting married today. She just arrived a little too late to try and stop us. That's why she was surprised when you called me your wife." I growl and aim a glare over at the now fleeing Tsubaki. "That sounds like her," I growl angrily, "Now I regret pulling you back. It would have been nice to see you beat her to a pulp." Then Kaiti suddenly begins to laugh at me. "What," I ask her surprised. "Nothing," she replies and kisses my cheek, "You're just so cute when you're angry like that." Looking into her eyes, I can't help but grin and laugh myself. "Well let's go koishii," I say with a grin, "We've got a wedding reception to go to and I honestly can't wait for our first dance as husband and wife." Smiling happily, Kaiti immediately takes my hand and leads me inside the house for the party that has already begun.

(Kaiti's POV)  
Our first dance as husband and wife is always going to be branded into my memories. Not only were we the only ones dancing, but the song that we danced to was our song, When You Gotta Good Thing by Lady Antebellum. As the music surrounded us, the only person that I was even aware of was Kenmaru. Throughout the dance, he had held me close and not once did his grip on me loosen until the end. As the song ended, I looked up to find that we were the only ones who had even danced during the entire song. Everyone else had just stood to the side and watched us. Now as the next song plays, my dad comes up and taps Kenmaru on the shoulder. "If I may," he says warmly, "I would like to dance with my daughter." Kenmaru smiles at him and lets go of me so that my dad can take me into his arms. "Now's my chance," I hear Kagome say excitedly, "Come on son, it's time to dance with your mama!" "Ok Mom," Kenmaru replies with a laugh, "I'm coming." Before he walks away, he leans in and places a quick kiss on my forehead. "I'll come get you after this song," he says softly, and I nod while smiling at him lovingly. Once Kagome has pulled him away, my dad and I begin to dance. "You know," my dad says quietly, "I honestly hoped to have a couple more years before I had to deal with this. I never thought my baby girl would grow up so soon." "I know Daddy," I reply softly, "But I don't think Kenmaru and I could have waited much longer. I love him too much. But Daddy, you know I'm always gonna be your little girl. Nothing's going to change that." "You got that right," he replies happily, "You're my only daughter and whenever you and Kenmaru decide to have some kids, I'm gonna spoil them rotten until the day I die. And honestly, I'm also kinda relieved that you married so young. Now I don't have to worry about some arrogant punks trying to lead you on. Kenmaru's a good man sweetie." "I know Dad," I reply with a smile, "And you're not going to be the only grandparent spoiling our future kids. I can tell that Kenmaru's parents are just as excited at the idea." We both laugh at that and continue to dance until the song is through.

The rest of the evening, I danced with Kenmaru many times and even danced with his dad and brothers some. Of course the three of them teased me the whole time, but I didn't care. They're family now, and I'm used to being teased by my family. Also, Kenmaru got to dance with my mom and of course Marrissa and the other bridesmaids. Marrissa insisted that they dance, seeing as how she's the only sister I have and I had already danced with his brothers. He had laughed at that and gave her one dance, which I watched with amusement. At one point in the evening, my mom and dad pulled Kenmaru and I over to cut our wedding cake. It was a four tier Swiss chocolate cake covered in aqua blue fondant. Before it was cut, the cake's surface had also been decorated with a few sugar flowers and a gold piped floral design. All in all, it had been beautiful and delicious. It wasn't until around 10:30 that the party started to wind down. Of course, my parents and Kenmaru's insisted that we leave early, seeing as tomorrow was going to be a very long drive from here to Atlanta. Sessohmaru let us use one of his many limos as our means of transportation to the house that Inuyasha and Kagome had bought for us. Apparently they had bought it months ago, knowing that we'd need it someday. They had already taken the liberty of driving both mine and Kenmaru's cars over, so we had no choice but to use the limo. We pull into the driveway and as soon as Kenmaru gets out of the car, he automatically reaches back in and pulls me out and into his arms. Carrying me bridal style, he walks up to the beautiful house and opens the door. I don't notice what the interior really looks like as Kenmaru continues to carry me up the stairs.

As soon as we reach the master bedroom, Kenmaru finally sets me down. "You're going to want to change out of that koi," he whispers heatedly into my ear, "I don't want to ruin it." I blush slightly and nod as my heart begins to pound. "I'll be right back then," I whisper and head to the connected bathroom. Of course, there's nothing there for me to change into. An expectant shiver races down my spine as I realize that we're about to finally become bound for all eternity, soul to soul. Once I'm done in the bathroom, I open the bathroom door and stick my head out. Kenmaru is leaning against the wall next to the bathroom door, now dressed in only his underwear. "You ready," he asks in a husky whisper. Looking over at him, I melt at the sight of his now glowing, molten gold eyes. "Yeah," I reply in a whisper and step out of the bathroom. Now I stand before him in my simple pieces of underwear. Before I can blink, I feel Kenmaru's lips hungrily tasting mine. I can't help but respond to him with just as much passion. I've waited for this for so long that I can't control my need as he touches me. I run my hands up and down his body, even rubbing his now tangible puppy ears between my fingers. The whole time, Kenmaru can't help but growl with pleasure as he continues to touch me. Finally, he has me on the bed and we're making love for the first time. After what seems like hours of torturing pleasure, we both finally reach our peaks. We cry out each other's names and the next thing I feel is Kenmaru biting down on my neck, binding us forever. Afterwards as we lay there exhausted, he licks and kisses the spot to soothe it, even though it had never even been painful. Finally with a sigh, I curl up in his arms and lean my head against his chest as sleep overtakes me. The last thing that I feel is Kenmaru's arms wrapping around me and his loving kiss on my forehead.


	16. Traveling to Paradise

**Southern Love**

Chapter 16: Traveling to Paradise

(Kenmaru's POV)  
The early morning sunlight streams through our bedroom window as I wake up, and I can't help but think of what will happened yesterday. Even now, I'm still in awe over yesterday's events. Remembering Kaiti's beautiful appearance as she walked down the aisle, I smile happily and sigh. Looking down at her now, I can't help but admire her peaceful face. She lays curled up in my arms with her head on my chest. Burying my nose into her hair, I inhale the sweet scent of my mate. I've waited ever since our first kiss to be able to call her my mate, and now she's finally mine forever. As I lay there with her, complete joy fills me. I sigh again happily and close my eyes to enjoy possibly a few more minutes of sleep before my koishii stirs. As soon as I close my eyes though, I hear Kaiti sigh happily and murmur, "Good morning." Opening my eyes, I look down at her just as her stunning blue eyes open. "Good morning mate," I whisper in her ear, "How'd you sleep?" As the words leave my lips, I feel Kaiti shiver against me and sense the feelings of complete love and joy filling her aura. "Mate," she whispers, "I love that word." Cuddling even closer to me, she says softly, "And I slept wonderfully. You kept me quite warm and I had the most amazing dreams." "Did those dreams happen to include us doing this," I whisper huskily in her ear before placing my lips to hers. Sighing softly, she wraps her arms around my neck to deepen the kiss. Breaking apart for air, I gently kiss down her neck to the newly formed mate mark on her shoulder. She gasps when my lips taste the silver crescent moon now gracing her skin, our bond causing it to be sensitive to my touch. "If you keep doing that koi," Kaiti whispers breathlessly, "We won't make it to Atlanta on time. We'll just have to stay here and catch a much later flight to Hawaii tomorrow."

I chuckle happily at her reaction to me. "Don't worry koishii," I say with a laugh, "We won't have to do that. I want to arrive in Hawaii right on time so that we can enjoy it as much as possible." She looks into my eyes and smiles brightly. "Well then," she says happily, "We better get up and get ready. How about a shower hmm?" Grinning, I pick her up and head straight to the bathroom. About an hour and a half later, we've showered, dressed, and packed everything into my car for the drive to Atlanta. It was going to take all day to get down there, so we would spend the night before catching our 7:55 flight to Honolulu. For breakfast, we decided to grab something before hitting the road. "Let's stop at Hardees," Kaiti says brightly, "All of the other places around here can't compare to their breakfast biscuits." I readily agree and pull through the drive-thru before we hit the interstate to head towards Atlanta. As we drive down the highway, Kaiti sings along with the radio or talks with me. At one point, I ask her if she's ever been to Hawaii before, even though I know she has. "Yeah I have," she replies and smiles happily. I know that at that moment, she's remembering her time there. "Back during my freshman year, the concert band was invited to play a concert in front of the U.S.S. Missouri in Pearl Harbor for the New Year," she tells me brightly, "We stayed for a whole week. Our hotel was right next to the International Marketplace. And we did a ton of stuff too. We even hiked up Diamond Head." I grin as I picture my miko hiking up rocky trail to the top of the famous extinct volcano. "I think we'll probably do some stuff like that too," I tell her as I keep grinning, "But there's some other things I want to do too. I actually used to live in Hawaii for a while before I moved to Chapin, and there are some people I would like for you to meet." Kaiti looks at me surprised and then smiles brightly. "Really," she asks happily, "You have friends that live in Hawaii?" "And some family," I reply calmly, "They weren't able to make it to the wedding, so I told them that we'd stop by for a visit." "Who are they," Kaiti asks curiously. "My aunt and uncle," I reply, "And my oldest brother. Plus their immediate families."

"Your aunt and uncle," she asks in confusion, "On what side?" "My mom's," I reply calmly, "My aunt and mom are sisters, much like you and Marrissa." "Wait a minute," Kaiti says suddenly, "You don't mean to tell me that Sango and Miroku are still alive do you?" I can't contain the grin that immediately forms on my lips. "Who else," I ask as I grin at her, "They are apart of my dad's pack, so their life spans are the same as any youkai or hanyou. It's apart of being in an inu youkai pack. They're just as young looking as my parents are." "Wow," Kaiti whispers excitedly, "I'm actually going to get to meet Sango and Miroku! This is so amazing!" I can't help but laugh at her. "Calm down koi," I tease gently, "You're going to want to be prepared when you walk into their house. Not only is Uncle still a pervert, but his sons are as well. Don't be surprised if Aunt Sango has to slap Uncle or if I have to pound one of my cousins for trying to grope you. I already warned them that I wouldn't tolerate them laying a hand on you, but sometimes it takes a few good bumps on the head to teach them." Kaiti sits in her seat stunned for a moment, and then begins to laugh hysterically. "Oh I can't wait for that visit then," she laughs, "Some of my favorite moments in the anime were when Miroku would grope Sango and she would hit him with her Hiraikotsu." I laugh with her then. "I bet some of your other favorite moments were when my mom 'sat' my dad huh," I ask her teasingly. "Yep," she replies and giggles, "I'm kind of surprised that I've not seen her do it in real life yet." "Mom is a lot more tolerant now days," I reply matter-of-factly, "That's the only reason why." Kaiti just grins and continues to laugh.

(Kaiti's POV)  
Around 12:30 or so, I begin to realize that Kenmaru is pulling off of the highway and onto an exit. "Why are we getting off here koi," I ask him curiously. He looks over at me and begins to laugh. "What's so funny," I ask a bit annoyed now. "You koishii," he replies, "The reason we're pulling off here is because not only am I hungry, but so are you. It's time to grab some lunch." Just then, I hear my stomach growl and I realize that he's right, I am hungry. "How'd you know I was hungry," I ask him in shock, "I didn't even realize it until now." We pull into the parking lot of a very nice looking Sonics and he parks the car in a space next to a large menu display. He smiles at me lovingly and reaches up to touch the tattoo-like mate mark on my shoulder. "I knew," he says softly, "Because of this. Our bond is very strong koishii. Now I'm always going to know when you need something. And you'll know what's going on with me as well. You probably would have realized that I was hungry earlier if you were so absorbed in singing." I smile at him and place a chaste kiss on his lips. Now that I'm more focused, I do begin to feel Kenmaru's emotions and needs through our bond. "You're right Kenmaru," I say calmly, "Now that I'm more focused, I do sense what you're feeling. And it's almost like I can read your thoughts too." He grins at me then and I can feel my eyes widen in shock. "Do you mean we can do that," I ask him in awe, "We really can read each other's thoughts?" "More than that mate," he says while still grinning, "We can actually talk privately with our minds. Right now, it'll take a little bit of effort to do so. But as our bond grows stronger, it'll be as easy as breathing." I can't help but smile at the idea of talking to him in my mind. That way, even if he's not physically present with me, he'll always be there for me. Kenmaru sees my smile and asks teasingly, "So you like that idea huh?" "Yeah," I reply and laugh happily, "But we'll have to try that later. Right now, I'm hungry and want a chicken sandwich with fries and a Reese's Blast." He laughs at me and says, "That sounds good. I think I'll join you. Just lettuce, tomato, and ketchup on yours right?" I nod and give him a big smile. "Yep," I reply, "You know me; I dislike any form of mustard, mayo, cheese, and any other disgusting thing of that nature on my sandwiches." He continues to grin at me and orders quickly. We take our time to sit and eat before throwing away all of our trash and driving away.

About three hours after our lunch stop, we finally reach Atlanta. Since our flight doesn't leave until early the next morning, Kenmaru had made reservations for us to stay one night at a decent hotel near the airport. After we checked into the hotel and dropped our bags off inside our room, Kenmaru and I got back into the car and drove deep into the heart of Atlanta. He didn't tell me where we were going, just that we were going to be having dinner. Of course, he ended up taking me to the most expensive place he could find. "What am I going to do with you koi," I ask with a sigh, "If you keep spoiling me like this, I don't know what I'm going to do. Don't you want to go to a simple place for a change?" "But I like spoiling you," he says with a grin, "Plus, simple places around here don't serve the quality of food you deserve. It's only the best for you mate." I sigh and can't help but smile. "Fine," I reply, "You win this time. But I'll have you know; sometimes some of the best tasting food can be served in small whole-in-the-wall restaurants. I know a place in New Orleans that serves amazing Po boy sandwiches. My youth group went there once while on a mission trip." "I think I know the place you're talking about," Kenmaru replies calmly, "It's called Mother's isn't it? And you do have a point there. But I'll only take you to places like that if I trust them." "Damn," I say in awe, "You've been all over the country haven't you? And I bet a good bit of the world too. You're right about the sandwich place. It was called Mother's. I'm guessing you know this place then since you're bringing me here." He just nods and smiles at me. "Come on koi," he says, "I'm ready to eat and I know you are too. Besides, the sooner we eat, the sooner we can get back to the hotel and rest. We have a long flight tomorrow." "Tell me about it," I mumble as old memories flash through my mind, "I just hope that this time it doesn't go from a nine hour flight to an eleven hour one. The last time I flew to Hawaii from Atlanta, an eighteen month old child in first class started having seizures about an hour over the Pacific ocean. That was one of the longest days of my life, especially after staying up the whole day before until two o'clock that morning in order to leave from the high school for the drive to Atlanta." "And let me guess," Kenmaru says with a chuckle, "That was your first time on a plane too?" "Yeah," I grumble, "My first ever flight, and I got stuck on the plane for most of the day while running on two hours of sleep that I got on the bus ride to Atlanta. I crashed that night when we went to bed. All of us did, me and my three roommates." Kenmaru laughs again and says, "Well this time will be much different koi. We're going to get plenty of sleep tonight. You can count on that." At his comment, I can't stop the blush that creeps to my cheeks. I have a feeling that he has more than one type of sleep in mind for us tonight. 

(Kenmaru's POV)  
After dinner at a nice restaurant located deep in the heart of the city of Atlanta, Kaiti and I drive back to our hotel for the night. Our room was pretty decent and was a nice size for the two of us. Of course as soon as we walk through the door, Kaiti wants to take a quick shower before bed. "I won't get a chance to in the morning," she says calmly, "Unless I get up at the crack of dawn. And I prefer sleep over getting up early. You might want to get one too koi." "I might do that," I reply with a grin, "But I know you mate, you take very long showers." I come up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist. "I've got an idea," I whisper into her ear, "How about I join you hmm?" I nuzzle her neck lovingly and wait for a response. "That," she whispers huskily, "Sounds like a great idea. I'm going to go start the shower. Grab whatever you need and then come join me." "Alright," I reply, "Sounds like a plan." With a sigh, I let go of her waist and turn to grab the few things I need from my bag. It's not long before I hear the shower going and I smile as I turn to the bathroom door. Stepping inside the bathroom, I can already see the small puffs of steam floating over the shower curtain. I notice that Kaiti is already inside, waiting for me to come join her. I undress quickly and slip in behind her. I wrap my arms around her now wet waist and nuzzle the bare skin of her neck. "Hey," she whispers, "That didn't take you long." "Nope," I reply and sigh, "Hmm. This is nice. I think I'm going to like taking a shower this way." She giggles and leans back against me. "Same here," she says softly, "You know, I never imagined getting married at such a young age, much less being mated to a hanyou. But now that I am, I wouldn't change anything for the world. I love you koishii." "I love you too Kaiti," I whisper into her ear, "I'll always love you. You're it for me, for eternity."

Kaiti sighs and turns around in my arms. Looking into her eyes, I see her whole heart and all of the love contained there. Slowly, she wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me in for a tender kiss. As soon as our lips meet, a fire sparks. Hungrily, I deepen the kiss and pull her closer to me. Through our newly developed link, I can sense the love and desire burning through her. It's not long before the shower is forgotten and we're making love. And just like last night, my need for her doesn't let up when we both reach our peaks. "Kami, I love you," I gasp as she leans against me, "You're always going to be able to make me act like this. I don't think I'm ever going to be able to stop wanting or needing you." "Better not," she murmurs into my chest, "Because it's the same with me." I can't help but smile at her as her baby blue eyes close. She lets out a sigh, and I know that we need to be getting to bed soon. "Hey koi," I say softly, "Let's finish up our shower and head on to bed ok? I know you're tired." Kaiti sighs again and nods slowly. "Ok," she says, "Just as long as I get to help wash you." "Ok koishii," I reply and grin down at her, "But I get to do the same." "Of course," she replies and giggles, "I wouldn't have it any other way." Still smiling at her, I grab her shampoo and squirt some into my hand. Gently, I begin to massage the shampoo into her hair for her. She smiles as I rub the cleansing liquid into her scalp and reaches for the washcloth and soap. Slowly, she begins to rub the now soapy cloth over my chest, arms, and back while I continue to wash her hair. Before we switch jobs, we both douse ourselves underneath the showerhead to rinse off. Then she begins to wash my hair as I wash her body. The whole process lasts about twenty minutes before we take our final rinse and step out of the shower. We dry off together before I finally lift her into my arms and take her back into the bedroom. By the time I reach the bed, she had already fallen asleep. A peaceful smile graces her lips as I lay her down underneath the covers and crawl in beside her. Just like the night before, I wrap an arm around her waist and hold her close to me. She murmurs my name in her sleep and her smile widens. I can't help but smile down at her lovingly before burying my face into her hair and falling asleep.

(Kaiti's POV)  
I wake up to the beeping of the hotel room alarm clock around 5:30. It's still dark outside, but I know that if we're to catch our plane we have to get up now. Groaning, Kenmaru removes his arm from my waist just long enough to turn over and silence the alarm clock. "Damnit," he mumbles, "I hate those things. They hurt my ears." He rolls back over and once again places his arm around my waist. "It's too early," he mumbles, "Back to sleep." I yawn and then laugh at him softly. "We can't do that koi," I remind him gently, "We have a plane to catch remember?" His ears twitch and I can sense his annoyance through our link. "Fine," he growls, "But we're sleeping on the plane. Thank the kami I got us first class tickets. We'll actually have some privacy." I gasp and sit up quickly. "You did what," I ask him surprised, "Why'd you go and do that? I told you I didn't like you spoiling me Kenmaru." "I know," he says and grins at me as he sits up, "But you're my mate now, and I have a right to spoil you. Might as well get used to it koi." I sigh and smile at him. "Yeah," I reply softly, "I guess I'll have to. But still it's going to take a while for me to get used to." "I understand," he says and smiles at me, "I'll take it a bit easier from now on ok?' "Ok," I say and finally get out of bed, "Now hurry up. We have to be at the airport soon!" About thirty minutes later, we're ready and heading out the door. As we drive to the airport, Kenmaru asks me, "Do you want to grab breakfast before we get to the airport?" "Nah," I reply, "The airport has a ton of restaurants inside. We can grab something while waiting on our flight." "Fine by me," he says, "Just checking to see if you wanted something else." "I know," I reply and smile at him, "You're always taking care of me." "Got that right," he says seriously, "And I always will."

It didn't take us long for us to pick up our tickets, check our bags in, and go through security. Before I know it, we're on our way to our plane terminal and browsing the restaurants for decent breakfast food. It's not long before Kenmaru's keen nose picks up on some delicious smelling place serving any form of breakfast sandwich or biscuit you could ask for. He goes for a sausage biscuit, while I ask for a chicken biscuit. Kenmaru also orders two sides of hash browns and two things of mixed fruit. For our drinks, he orders me an orange juice and gets some milk for himself. Carefully, we carry all of our food and our carry-on bags to our flight terminal and sit down to enjoy our meal. "This looks good," I say happily, "And it smells good too! You're wonderful at finding good food Kenmaru." He laughs at me and picks up his biscuit. "Anything for you Kaiti," he replies and smiles at me as I begin to squirt ketchup on my hash browns. After I take my first bite, he smiles again at the obvious signs of joy that I can't restrain. "That good huh," he asks teasingly. "Heck yeah," I reply after I swallow some hash brown, "Like I said, you're amazing when it comes to finding great food. I'm so blessed to have a man like you." "And I can say the same about you," he says softly, "I'm lucky to have someone like you koishii." I smile at him and try to pour all of my love into that one smile. His eyes lock with mine, and no words have to be said. We both know that without each other, we'd probably not be the people we are today. Finally, my stomach rumbles, telling me to continue feeding it. Kenmaru laughs and says, "You better eat your breakfast Kaiti, or your stomach is not going to like you during our long flight. It obviously wants food now." "Oh just shut up and eat your breakfast," I mutter as a blush forms on my cheeks, "Your stomach might not have growled at you yet, but it won't like you either if you don't feed it." "Touché," he says with a teasing grin. I just sigh and go back to my delicious breakfast.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
As soon as we board the plane, a flight attendant immediately seats us after one glance at our tickets. By now, most of the airlines know that whenever they see the name Tashio, they are to show up most respect for the passengers who carry that name. Even though most do not know about our strong youkai bloodline, they do know that the Tashio family is very wealthy and very influential. "Is it just me," Kaiti whispers into my ear, "Or are the flight attendants being overly nice to us? It's almost like they think we're royalty or something." I can't help but laugh softly, which causes Kaiti to glare at me in irritation. Finally I whisper, "They are being overly attentive koi. Even though they don't know about the Tashio family's youkai bloodline, they and many other airlines do know that the Tashio family is very wealthy. Uncle Sessohmaru personally made sure that certain airlines knew about our family because he expects the up most forms of respect from those around him who are not family." "Great," Kaiti says with a sigh, "More pampering. And this time it's not even your doing, it's your uncle's!" "Yes," I reply and laugh softly, "But just think koi. We're not crowded in like we would be back in coach; we actually have a private area to ourselves. Also, the food is much better here and the pillows and blankets aren't as hard or thin. Plus, we don't have to crane our necks to watch the in-flight movies either, we have a TV screen right here. This might be pampering, but just remember what you experienced back in coach versus up here." "I see your point," Kaiti says and sighs in defeat, "But still, it'd be nice if they treated us like this just because we're passengers, not because your family is rich." "Not just my family," I correct her gently, "It's your family now too. And I wouldn't have it any other way." She turns to look at me and the expression on her face softens at my words. Nothing but pure love and happiness shines in her eyes, which gives me complete joy. I take her hand in mine and squeeze it gently, which causes her smile to brighten. She leans in closer to me and rests her head of my shoulder, just near my own crescent moon mate mark. I pull her closer to me and place a tender kiss on her forehead before burying my nose into her hair. She sighs happily, and I know that we'll probably stay in this position for most of the flight. Damn, I love this woman so much that sometimes I feel like I'm going to burst.  
Soon, we hear the pilot announce that we'll be taking off shortly. It's about fifteen minutes later when our plane has moved to the runway and we're taking off. After climbing for some time, we're in the air and heading towards our destination. As soon as we are able to, Kaiti and I both unbuckle our seat belts and raise the armrest that had been separating us. Once the armrest is out of the way, Kaiti immediately leans against me and I wrap an arm around her waist. She sighs and then yawns quietly. "Tired koi," I ask her softly. She nods and says, "Yeah, just a little. I think I might take a nap until it's time for lunch." "Ok," I reply in a whisper and kiss her forehead, "I'll wake you up when they bring lunch out." "Ok," she murmurs sleepily, "Thank you koishii." Moments later, and she's out like a light. I can't help but smile as I hear her heart rate slow to a steady beat and her breathing become slow and steady. A flight attendant comes up to us when she sees Kaiti sleeping against me. "Would you like for me to get a blanket for her sir," she asks quietly, "Or maybe a pillow?" "A blanket would be nice," I reply softly, "But she won't need a pillow. My wife likes to sleep like this." "That's fine," the flight attendant replies, "I'll be right back with that blanket." Moments later, she returns with the blanket in hand. When she begins to drape it over Kaiti, I stop her. "I'll do that," I tell her, "Don't worry about it." She just nods and goes to check up on another passenger. Once I have Kaiti wrapped in the blanket, I sit back to enjoy the ride. 

(Kaiti's POV)  
As promised, Kenmaru wakes me up at lunch time. I'm a bit surprised to find that he'd wrapped me in a blanket, but I'm happy as well. No matter where we are, Kenmaru always takes good care of me. Once we've finished our lunch, Kenmaru and I lean against each other to watch the in-flight movie that is playing. It's a bit older than most in-flight movies, but I enjoy it just as well. After all, it is my favorite movie. As it turns out, Phantom of the Opera is a popular in-flight movie on this airline. After the movie is over, we begin to watch the next one, but before I know it I fall asleep again. I feel as if only seconds have gone by when Kenmaru gently shakes me awake. In reality, I had slept the whole rest of the flight. "Wake up Kaiti," he whispers into my ear, "We're here. We're about to land." Groggily, I sit up and look out the window. My eyes open completely when I see the beautiful sight of an island shore below. "We're here," I say excitedly, "We're finally here!" Kenmaru laughs at me and pulls me back into my seat. "You need your seatbelt on koi," he reminds me gently while still laughing, "We're going to be landing shortly." I nod and smile at him as I snap the seatbelt in place. It's not long before I feel the plane begin its decent from the clouds down towards the island below. When we touched down, I noticed that landing wasn't as bumpy as I remembered it to be. Soon, we're unbuckled, up and exiting the plane. Of course, we're greeted with the traditional Hawaiian leis being placed around our necks. Then before I know it, we've already gotten our bags and are in a limo taxi heading towards our hotel. I gasp in surprise when we get out of the limo. "Oh my gosh," I whisper in wonder, "This is the same hotel. This is the one we stayed in when I was here last." I turn to him and see a knowing grin plastered on his lips. "How did you know," I ask him happily. "Your friend Hunter told me," he replies easily, "I knew that he was in band with you and thought to ask him. Luckily he remembered the hotel name." "I'll have to thank him for memorizing the name," I say happily, "He had told me when we left here that he was never going to forget this hotel because he wanted to come back here someday." "You can thank him when we get home," Kenmaru replies softly, "But now we need to go and put our stuff in our room before I take you out to dinner." "Dinner," I ask curiously, "Where are you going to take me?" "You'll see," he says with a grin. From the look on his face, he knows exactly where we're going and why we're going there. I love this man.


	17. Tropical Happenings: Meet the Relatives

**Southern Love**

Chapter 17: Tropical Happenings 1-Meet the Relatives

(Kenmaru's POV)  
After Kaiti and I set all of our belongings down in our hotel room, I grab her hand and entwine my fingers with hers. Gently, I lead her out of our room and to the elevator. "Where are we going Kenmaru," she asks curiously. "To dinner," I answer, "Where else? I know you're hungry." She smiles at me and sighs. "Ok," she says, "Just as long as you don't spoil me too much." "Don't worry," I reply and grin at her, "I won't spoil you too bad. But this is something you've got to try if you already haven't before." "What is it," she asks again, even more curious now. "I told you earlier," I tease lightly, "You'll see. Just be patient koi." She sighs and I know that she's finally given up. She knows that I won't tell her. It would ruin the surprise. After we exit the elevator and enter the lobby, we quickly cross the room and hop onto the down escalator that leads to the outdoors. Once outside, I check to make sure there's no traffic and then quickly lead her down the side street that borders the hotel. "Oh I remember this," Kaiti whispers softly, "The last time I was here, we walked this way to enter the International Marketplace." "I knew you'd recognize it," I reply and grin, "That's why we're going this way." Of course, she gets a bit curious when I lead her to the entrance of the Marketplace Food Court and lead her inside. "I've been here before too," Kaiti says and grins, "We're eating here huh?" "You found me out koi," I tease and laugh at her mock scowl, "Yes, we're eating here. I wanted you to taste some authentic Japanese food. Stuff like my mom can make." "Sounds good to me," she replies, "Just as long as it's not fish. I'm not really in the mood for fish." "Fine by me," I say excitedly, "There's still a ton of other stuff you can try." She just grins at me as I pull her over to get in line at one of the many Japanese restaurants.

Soon, we've gotten our food and sit down to enjoy it. I can't help but grin at the obvious delight that plays over Kaiti's face as she takes her first bite. "Wow," she says after she swallows her food, "This is really good. I should have tried this the last time I was here. But I was too afraid I'd hate it, so I didn't. Now though, I can't wait to try something else. You're amazing when it comes to finding great food koi." "I know," I reply and continue to grin at her, "You've told me that many times. As a matter of fact I think you told me twice just this morning." "Well I'll continue to say it," she says teasingly, "Just as long as you continue to buy me great food." "I thought you said not to spoil you," I tease back, "Changing your mind already koishii?" She gives me a mock glare and replies, "No I've not changed my mind yet. And I can't consider this being spoiled when it didn't cost near half as much as last night's dinner." I just laugh and take a bite of my own food. Of course, she's right and it's delicious. It tastes a lot like my mom's, but to me hers will always be better. I'll have to get my mom to cook this for us one night and teach Kaiti how to make it. I know that my koishii will love learning how to cook such a delicious meal. We continue to eat and make light conversation the entire time. When we're almost done, a movement behind Kaiti catches my eye. I look up slightly to see my cousins, Sakura and Kenta, heading our way. 'Great,' I think sarcastically, 'Just what I need on the first night of my honeymoon. I just hope Sakura can keep that lecher brother of hers in check.' Sensing my sudden unease, Kaiti looks up at me and asks, "Is there something wrong Kenmaru?" Before I can answer, Kenta speaks up. "Kenmaru," he says warmly, "It's been a long time man. How've you been?" "Hi Kenta," I reply, "I've been fine. Hi Sakura." "Hi Kenmaru," she replies, "It's been a while." I nod, but then begin to glare at Kenta as he goes to do what lechers do best to Kaiti. "Don't even think about it pervert," I growl at Kenta, "You might be my cousin, but I'll rip you to shreds if you lay one lecherous hand on my mate."

(Kaiti's POV)  
Just as soon as the new boy and girl arrive and greet Kenmaru, Kenmaru is already glaring at the guy. "Don't even think about it pervert," he growls at the guy, who he calls Kenta, "You might be my cousin, but I'll rip you to shreds if you lay one lecherous hand on my mate." I hear Kenta gulp loudly and turn around just in time to see the guy slowly moving his hand away from the vicinity of my butt and back near his side. Suddenly, the girl rears back and slaps him. "You baka," she screeches at him, "Mom and Dad told you that Kenmaru was coming here with his wife! They warned you not to pull any perverted tricks and what do you do? You're such a hentai!" "Oww Sakura," Kenta groans, "I'm sorry ok? I couldn't help myself. You know me." "Yeah," Kenmaru replies, "And you're a pervert. You better come sit down and behave before I wail on you." Kenta gulps and laughs nervously before going around to the other side of the table and sitting beside Kenmaru. His sister, Sakura, sits down by me. "I'm sorry about that," she says to me kindly, "My brother acts just like our dad. It's hard to control him. I'm Sakura by the way, Sakura Taijiya. I'm one of Kenmaru's cousins." "It's nice to meet you," I reply happily, "My name's Kaiti. I'm Kenmaru's wife. And your brother's alright. From his attempted lechery and your last name, I can already tell who your parents are. It explains a lot." "Wait a minute," Kenta suddenly says and looks at Kenmaru, "You told your girl about our parents but didn't tell her about us? Thanks a lot man. Way to show the love to your cousins." "Actually," Kenmaru says calmly, despite the glare that Kenta is giving him, "Kaiti knew about your parents before we even met. A lot of her older friends love watching anime and told Kaiti that in order to fully appreciate it, she'd have to watch one in particular." "He's telling the truth," I say and grin happily, "Little did I know when I spent hours watching that show that I was learning the story of my future in-laws. But then I met Kenmaru and after knowing him for only a year, I was thrust into a world where youkai, hanyou, and mikos actually existed. I still remember the day I saw Kenmaru as a hanyou for the first time. He rescued me from a rather ugly bear youkai."

Kenmaru's cousins stare at me for a few seconds before Sakura finally asks, "How did you not know about mikos existing before you met Kenmaru? You are one aren't you?" "Yes," I reply, "But I didn't find out that I was until our first battle with Naraku. Apparently some old priest had convinced my parents to place a seal on my powers that wasn't supposed to break until I turned eighteen. But the seal broke a few months early during that battle." "Oh we heard about that," Kenta says as he suddenly remembers, "As a matter of fact, Mom and Dad told us a lot of what was happening to you two. Aunt Kagome kept calling with updates. From what we've heard, you two have been through a lot together." I look over towards Kenmaru and he smiles at me softly. "Yeah," I reply, "We have. But I wouldn't change a thing of what happened if it meant that we wouldn't be where we are right now. It might not have seemed like it at the time, but everything was worth it because it got us here." "Couldn't have said it any better myself," Kenmaru says proudly, "I feel exactly the same way." "I'm glad that you're able to feel that way," Sakura says kindly, "I doubt I could if I were either of you." "Me too," Kenta says, "Oh and by the way, Mom and Dad told us that if we saw you while we were out, we should ask you guys to come over to the house. They can't wait to meet you Kaiti. Plus, Shippo is supposed to come over sometime tonight with his wife and kids." "Ok," Kenmaru replies, "I'm fine with that. But it matters on what Kaiti wants to do." He looks over at me, his eyes questioning. "That's fine with me," I answer excitedly, "I can't wait to meet all of them. And I don't need anything from the hotel, so if it's alright with Kenmaru, we can leave once Kenmaru and I finish eating." "That's fine," Kenmaru answers and then looks over at me knowingly, "I don't need anything either. Besides, I can tell that Kaiti is eager to meet Shippo's twins. She loves children." "You know me too well koi," I say with a sigh, "Yes I'm eager to meet the twins. I've always loved kids, especially babies. They're just so sweet and adorable!" "Well you're in luck," Sakura says with amusement, "Shippo's twin girls are only three months old." "Oh wow," I breathe excitedly, "I'm only married for a few days and already I'm an aunt to two baby girls! This is so exciting!" Kenmaru chuckles softly. "Well are you finished with your food then," he asks teasingly, "Or are you just that eager to meet more of the family?" I give him a mock glare and then look down at the very small bit of food on my plate. "I'm done honestly," I reply, "So if you're done, then let's go." "Yeah, I'm done," Kenmaru says calmly, "Hey Kenta where are y'all parked at? Or did you two walk here?" "We're parked just down the street," Kenta replies, "It's not that far from here." With that, we all leave the table and Kenmaru and I throw our trash away as we walk out of the food court. About a five minute walk down the street leads us to Kenta's parked mustang. "Nice car," I say appreciatively, "The last time I saw a mustang this nice was about a week ago in the showroom at my mom's office. She works for a Ford company that's about thirty minutes from our house." "So you're a girl that appreciates cars huh," Kenta asks amused, "Damn Kenmaru, you've really got yourself a great catch in this girl. I hope whenever I get married, it's to a car savvy woman like yours." Kenmaru just rolls his eyes as we all climb into the car and begin our trip to Sango and Miroku's house.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
The drive to my aunt and uncle's is pleasant enough until we reach my old neighborhood. As soon as the car passes the border between the neighborhood and the rest of the island, all we can see are a ton of people sitting outside watching us or looking out of their windows to watch as we pass. "I take it that the whole neighborhood knows I'm here then," I ask sarcastically. "Um yeah," Kenta replies, "About that. Well when Mom and Dad were telling us about you coming back for a little while, a few people happened to be walking down the street. They asked me about it and why you were coming back. I told them that you were going to be here, but I forgot to mention the honeymoon part." "Great," I groan, "Now everyone is going to be hounding us as soon as we leave your house." "You know all of these people," Kaiti asks in awe. "Yeah," I reply, "This used to be my old neighborhood. Most of the youkai families on the island live around here." "Wow," Kaiti gasps, "There are so many houses. And they're all so beautiful!" I smile at her as Kenta drives the rest of the way to our destination. "Here we are," he says as he pulls into the driveway, "This is our place." We quickly hop out of the car and begin to head towards the front door. Before we reach the porch steps though, Aunt Sango has already opened the door and has come out to greet us. "Kenmaru," she greets me warmly, "It's so nice to see you again dear. You should visit more often you know." "Sorry about that Aunt Sango," I reply, "But it's been kind of hard with everything that happened this year." "I know dear," she says kindly and then turns to Kaiti. "And you must be Kaiti," she says excitedly, "It's so nice to meet you dear. I've heard so much about you from Kagome and Inuyasha. Welcome to the family." "It's very nice to meet you too," Kaiti replies happily as she gets swept into a warm hug, "I've heard so much about you as well. Of course, I knew about you before I even met Kenmaru, but I doubt watching a TV show is as good as meeting you in person. I'm so glad to be a part of your family now." "We're glad to have you dear," Aunt Sango tells her kindly, "I knew that even when that stubborn brother-in-law of mine practically sang your praises in his usual gruff manner, that you were someone special. Now we'll both get to know each other. I've always hoped that Kenmaru would fall for someone like you." Kaiti blushes brightly from all of my aunt's words of praise, especially after Aunt Sango told her about how highly my dad thinks of her. "Thank you," she replies softly, "That means a lot. It really does." My aunt just smiles at Kaiti and finally leads us all inside.

As soon as we enter the house, I immediately smell and sense the presence of my brother and his family. "So Shippo is already here eh," I ask curiously. "Yes," Aunt Sango replies, "They just got here themselves. They're in the living room with your uncle." As soon as the words leave her lips, Shippo himself walks into the hallway. "I though I heard my little brother out here," he says with a teasing grin, "How've you been Kenmaru?" "Fine," I reply with a grin of my own, "How about you?" "I've been great," Shippo says cheerfully, "You need to come in here and see the pups. They're practically spitting images of me and Lauren." "We were just about to come do that," I reply, "But first, I would like for you to meet my mate." I pull Kaiti over to us and wrap an arm around her waist. "Shippo, this is Kaiti," I say proudly and then smile down at her, "And Kaiti, this is of course, my older brother Shippo." "It's nice to finally meet you," Kaiti says cheerfully, "I've heard quite a lot about you." "It's nice to meet you too," Shippo replies warmly, "I've heard a lot about you from Mom and Dad. Geez, from the way Mom talked, she already saw you as another daughter before Kenmaru even purposed." "I know," Kaiti replies happily, "She told me so herself right after Kenmaru purposed, even though I knew how she saw me back before Christmas. Your mom has been very kind to me and my family. She even bought my prom dress for me, even though I tried to protest." "Mom has always been generous," Shippo says calmly, "It's just who she is. Now come in here and meet everyone else. From what Mom told me, I know that you love children a lot, so I bet you're eager to meet the twins." "Got that right," I tell him and laugh cheerfully, "Ever since Sakura told her that they were twin girls, Kaiti here has been very excited." "I can't help it," Kaiti says with a sigh, "I love kids. My career choice is centered around children for goodness sake." These words leave her lips as soon as we step into the living room. I look over to see my sister-in-law sitting on the couch holding one of the twins. She is currently staring straight at Kaiti as if she's seen a ghost, her mouth hanging wide open. "Oh my god," Lauren gasps, "Kaiti Shealy is that you?" "Lauren Roads," Kaiti squeals excitedly, "Oh my god it's been too long girl! I've not seen you since you graduated two years ago and left for Winthrop!" "You two know each other already," I ask curiously. "Yes we do," Kaiti answers happily, "Koishii, I don't know what it is with your brothers and them marrying my friends, but I like it. First I find out that Jenna and Emmy are both my sister-in-laws, and now my old partner in crime Lauren! Back during my sophomore year, Lauren and I were the creative writing queens of our group. She helped me come up with so many ideas for my stories, especially during math class. I remember that one day we came up with one character named Kakashi, who we nicknamed our sexy ninja with an eye patch." "Oh I remember that one," Lauren says and laughs while she gives Kaiti a big hug, "We were going idea crazy that day and Mr. Sullivan kept asking us if we were ok." "Geez," Shippo says a bit shocked, "You mean that both of you and Kiba and Tashio's mates all went to the same high school?" Kaiti nods cheerfully as he turns to me and asks, "How did that happen?" "I don't know bro," I answer truthfully, "Maybe it's fate or something."

(Kaiti's POV)  
I couldn't believe it when I saw my old friend Lauren Roads sitting on the living room couch and with kids no less! "Wow Lauren," I whisper in awe, "They're so beautiful." Finally I had gotten the chance to sit down after finally meeting Miroku and the two little twins. Their names are Ai and Suki. Ai has her father's red hair and green eyes and a cute little strawberry blonde tail. Suki has her mother's blonde hair and blue eyes and a cute little blonde tail. Currently, I hold Suki in my arms and stare down at her lovingly. "Lauren," I say, "I'm warning you now. If Kenmaru lets me, I'm going to spoil these two little angels. They're just so precious!" Lauren laughs at me and looks down at little Ai with a smile on her face. "Knowing you Kaiti," she says cheerfully, "You'd spoil them anyway. You've always loved little ones." "Yeah," I reply, "But these two are special little ones. They're my nieces and I have every right to spoil them." I look over at Kenmaru and see the complete joy apparent in his eyes as he watches me hold and play with the baby in my arms. From what I can sense, he's thinking about me holding and playing with our pups just like this. From the attention he's already given the two little angels that I currently fawn over, I can tell that he's going to be a great father one day. We spend the next couple of hours doing nothing but chatting with our family and playing with the pups. Soon though, the pups grow tired and fall asleep. Ai sleeps in my arms and Suki sleeps in Lauren's arms. "Well," Shippo says finally, "It's time to get these pups home. It's bedtime for them." Gently, I pass Ai over to her father, who then gently lays her in her car seat and secures her in comfortably. Lauren does the same with Suki and soon they each hold a car seat in their hands. Before they leave, both give everyone warm goodbye hugs and promise to keep in touch. Then they're gone.

About thirty minutes after Shippo, Lauren and the kids leave, I can't help but let out a small exhausted yawn. "Tired koi," Kenmaru asks me softly. I can't help but nod my head slowly. It's been a long day. "We better be heading back to the hotel then," Kenmaru says a bit louder, "It's been quite a long day for us, especially after that nine hour flight." "We understand dear," Sango says kindly, "Let Kenta drive you back since it's so late. Not that many cab drivers come by here this time of night." "Yeah I'll drive you back," Kenta says happily, "You're staying at the hotel by the marketplace right?" Kenmaru nods and thanks him sincerely. As we get up to leave though, there's a knock on the door. "I wonder who that could be at this time of night," Miroku asks curiously. "I'll get it," Sango says and exits into the hall. Kenmaru and I get up as well so that we can head on back to the hotel. "Oh hello Mrs. Taijiya," I hear a familiar voice say, "I heard that Kenmaru was in town for a visit. Is he here?" I can think of only one person that would dare come here looking for Kenmaru that I would be familiar with. Sure enough, as soon as Kenmaru and I enter the hallway and turn towards the door I see Tsubaki, the would be wedding crasher. Anger fills me at the sight of her as I remember all of the insults she had thrown at me and Kenmaru. "What are you doing here," I ask her angrily, "Did you follow us here or something? The last time I saw you, you were fleeing after my bridesmaids kicked your butt for crashing my wedding." "You're quick eh," Tsubaki sneers, "You got it right on your first guess. Yeah I followed you. But it seems I'm too late. When I last saw you, you and Kenmaru were only married. Now you're actually mates. I can see now that this trip back home was a lost cause." "You actually thought I wouldn't mate with my wife," Kenmaru asks angrily, "I knew you were obsessed, but I didn't think you were that obsessed with me. I've told you millions of times Tsubaki; I was never even interested in you. Leave now before my mate socks you in the face again like she did at our wedding." "Don't worry about me leaving you filthy half-breed," Tsubaki sneers at him, "Now that the last Taisho son has found a mate, I can no longer gain anything from your family. But I'm not finished with the two of you yet. I'll have my revenge on your little slut miko here for stealing my last chance at fame and fortune." "You little bitch," I growl at her angrily, "How dare you insult my mate and me like that. If you try to lay one filthy little hand on me or Kenmaru, I'll purify you into dust." "I'd like to see you try," she says mockingly and then leaves without another word. As Sango closes the door, she says, "I take it that you've had this type of run in with Tsubaki before. It doesn't surprise me really. I always knew that the girl was greedy, which is why I'm glad that you never showed any interest for her Kenmaru. I'd be a bit careful from now on though if I were you. She sounded serious." Kenmaru just nods and holds me tighter as I slump against him exhausted. Kenta then quietly leads us out to his car and quickly drives us back to the hotel. "Good night you guys," he tells us kindly, "You two better rest up for the rest of the week. Jet lag can be tough." Kenmaru just nods and thanks him as he pulls me upstairs to our room.

As soon as Kenmaru and I close the door to our room, Kenmaru pulls me closer to him. "I'm sorry about what just happened koi," he whispers into my ear, "I never thought that Tsubaki would stoop so low just to get what she wants. I'm not going to let her lay a hand on you, I promise." "I know you won't," I whisper back lovingly, "You're always protecting me." Gently, Kenmaru brushes his lips across mine in a tender kiss that steals my breath away. I sigh happily and let him deepen the kiss as passion overtakes us. Soon, my shirt and bra are off and lying on the floor and Kenmaru is burning a path down my neck and shoulder with his gentle kisses. As he nips and sucks at the crescent moon mark tattooed on my shoulder, I gasp in pleasure and bare my neck to him willingly, already wanting more. It doesn't take us long to undress each other and cross over to the bed. Slowly, Kenmaru tortures me with every pleasure that he can before evening entering me. After what seems like hours of pleasure, we finally begin to make love. My need of him continues to grow until finally we reach our peaks and collapse together. Kenmaru then gently pulls the bed sheets over us and once again wraps me up in his arms. "I love you Kaiti," he whispers into my ear, "Now and forever." "I love you too Kenmaru," I whisper back sleepily, "I'll always love you koishii." There curled up in his arms, I feel safe and warm. It's not long before I feel my eyes grow extremely heavy and I allow myself to drift into the world of dreams.


	18. TH: Moonless Night, Capture of a Mate

**Southern Love**

Chapter 18: Tropical Happenings 2- Moonless Night, Capture of a Mate

(Kaiti's POV)  
The morning after meeting Kenmaru's relatives, I sleep in late. I guess Kenmaru knew that I needed to sleep, so he left me where I was and went out on his own to purchase breakfast. When I awoke at nine thirty, he had already come back and was fixing me a plate of food. I guess it was the delicious smells that woke me up. "Morning," I say and yawn loudly, "How long have you been up?" "Not long," he replies and smiles at me, "About an hour or so. Basically just long enough to get dressed and go out to buy our breakfast." "It smells delicious," I say excitedly and sit up, "What did you get?" He smiles then and places a tray in front of me. "It's a very traditional Japanese breakfast," he replies, "It includes rice, miso soup, and some other common breakfast items." I just stare at the array of food in front of me. "Wow," I breathe, "This all looks amazing!" Kenmaru just keeps smiling and hands me a set of chopsticks. "Better eat up koi," he says and grabs his own food, "We have to be out of here by quarter till eleven." "Really," I ask surprised, "What do you have planned for us?" "The very same thing you did your first morning here the last time you were here," he replies, "Just instead of being with a large group, it's only going to be the two of us." "You mean a catamaran cruise," I ask excitedly, "Just for the two of us? You're amazing koi!" He chuckles softly. "I thought you'd like that," he says amused, "From what your friend Hunter told me, that was one of your favorite things you did here." "Yeah," I reply as the memories come back, "I remember that in my group there were a ton of older kids that I liked to hang out with. One of them was our junior drum major that year. After the boat captain had taken us out as far as he was allowed, he brought us back until we spotted a school of fish. Then he stopped the boat and we were allowed to jump into the ocean and swim for a while. Then on the rest of the way back to shore, we had a squirt gun fight between the band students. We split in half and basically attacked each other on a whim. By the time we got to shore, we were all soaked to the bone." "Sounds like fun," Kenmaru says happily, "Maybe the captain will let us do that. Would you be willing to take me on, one on one?" "You bet," I reply confidently, "Anytime koishii." He continues to tease me as we eat the wonderful breakfast that he bought. Hopefully today will be a good day. But from our encounter with Tsubaki last night, I'm a bit worried.

At exactly ten forty-five, both Kenmaru and I are dressed in our swim suits. He also wears a muscle shirt along with his, while I wear a cover-up dress. It only takes us ten minutes to walk from our hotel to the beach where we're supposed to meet our boat. As we wait, the clear, blue ocean water looks inviting. Without warning, I slip off my flip flops and run towards the waves. When I reach the shoreline, I look over my shoulder at Kenmaru and laugh happily. "Coming Kenmaru," I call back to him, "The water feels amazing! It's better than just standing there waiting." He just smiles and also slips off his shoes. I turn back around and sigh as the cool water laps at my toes. Before I know it though, Kenmaru has run up behind me and lifted me into his arms while twirling around in a large circle. "Kenmaru," I yelp out, "Put me down koishii!" He just laughs and sets me down on my feet. "Did I surprise you," he asks teasingly. "Yes you baka," I laugh, "Warn me next time. I almost dropped my shoes. I could have lost them in the surf." "We wouldn't want that happening, now would we," he teases, "That would mean that I would have to carry you around until I could buy you some new ones." I start to laugh happily at the teasing expression on his face. Still laughing, I stretch up and kiss him sweetly on the cheek. "Knowing you koi," I reply lovingly, "You would carry me around until we could find me some new shoes. I'm so lucky to love someone like you." "I would say I'm the lucky one," he whispers in my ear, "I never thought I was going to find someone like you." I pull back slightly and look up into his eyes. Not even our link can express the depth of love I see in his eyes. Looking into his eyes, I know that there's no place in the world where I'd rather be at that moment. Tenderly, he brushes his lips against mine and I'm in heaven. Before we can deepen the kiss though, our boat arrives.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
If it wasn't for the boat showing up when it did, Kaiti and I might have not gone on that cruise. The moment that we shared just standing there on the beach was a moment in heaven. If we had gone farther, I would have taken Kaiti back to our hotel right then and there. But now, we're climbing onto the boat. We had to wait patiently a few minutes for the last group to get off the boat, but now it's just the two of us and the boat captain. "So you're my solo newlywed couple," the captain asks us curiously, "Mr. and Mrs. Taisho?" "That's us," I reply calmly. "Ok," he says warmly, "Well I'll let you two get settled and then we'll set sail. I suggest that if you're planning on getting wet, you better go ahead and store any items you want dry in here." He points to a small compartment close to the helm. Kaiti hands me her shoes, which I quickly place in the compartment with mine, and then begins to take off her cover-up. Underneath she wears a slimming one piece swim suit that is a beautiful shade of soft purple. Carefully, I take off my shirt without disturbing my concealing charm and then place it and Kaiti's cover-up in the storage compartment. As I close the lid of the compartment, Kaiti lays out the large towel that she had brought and sits down on top of it. I join her and wrap an arm around her waist while we wait for the captain to begin our cruise. "Have you two ever been on one of these cruises before," the captain asks curiously. "Yes we have," I reply, "Just not together before. My family used to live here for a few years, but my wife has only been here once before a few years ago." "I was on a trip with my high school band," Kaiti adds calmly, "We were here about three years ago right after Christmas. We had been asked to play a small concert in front of the U.S.S. Missouri in Pearl Harbor." "I remember your group," the captain says and laughs, "You were from South Carolina right?" Kaiti nods and replies, "Yeah, that was us. I was with the second group of us that you took out that morning." "Well you were a funny group," he says while still laughing, "I remember that tall brunette that kept lashing out at any and everyone during the water fight that morning." Kaiti laughs happily and says, "Oh that was our junior drum major. She's always been quite wild and energetic. Let's just say we refrained from giving her chocolate until after a performance just so that she'd be sane." The captain laughs again and then goes back to work getting the boat ready to set sail.

About two hours later, we finally hop off the boat. "That was fun," I comment, "We'll have to do that again when we come here to visit my aunt and uncle." Kaiti nods her head in agreement. Before she can say anything though, her stomach growls loudly. I laugh happily and place an arm around her waist. "Hungry koi," I ask teasingly. "Yeah," she replies sheepishly, "That's what I was about to tell you, but my stomach beat me to it." As we walk off the beach, I begin to think about where we could go to eat. "How about we go to this indoor mall that is right down the street from the hotel," I ask curiously, "It's got a food court with a ton of different choices." "Ok," she replies, "Besides, I think I know the one you're talking about. We went to one often the last time I was here. It had a little escalator that led down to the food court and there was a Starbucks right inside." "That's the one," I tell her cheerfully, "Which is good, because that means I know you'll find something you like." She just smiles at me and leans her head against my shoulder. "Hey Kenmaru," she says a few minutes later, "After we eat, could we go back to the room and change real quick and then hit the International Marketplace? I want to do some shopping. Last time I was here, I saw some of the most beautiful dresses and wanted to buy one, but never had the time. I want to see if they still have some like the ones I saw." "Sounds like a plan to me," I reply, "Besides, we have nothing else planned until this evening. Before we left last night, Aunt Sango asked that we come and eat dinner with them and Shippo's family tonight." "Ok," she replies softly, "Which means we'll have some time to rest before we go over there. I won't be long shopping, so we'll have a while to rest. What time do we have to be over there?" "Around seven thirty," I tell her, "Which means that we'll have to be careful going back to the hotel afterwards. Remember what tonight is?" "Yeah," she says softly, "Tonight's the new moon. You'll be human tonight." I nod, not liking the sudden worried feeling creeping up my spine.

(Kaiti's POV)  
We eat a quick lunch from the food court's small Subway counter and then head back to our hotel to change. While we're there, I decide to grab a shower. While on our cruise, we had taken a dip in the ocean and now there is salt clinging to my skin. After I step out of my shower, I feel quite refreshed and ready for the rest of the day. As I get dressed, Kenmaru comes in and hops in the shower as well. He doesn't take near as long as I had, and soon he's getting dressed as well. It's around three o'clock when we finally leave our room and head down to the marketplace. Kenmaru let's me lead him through the small outdoor portion of the market, where we finally find the dresses I remembered from three years ago. "Here they are," I say excitedly and pull Kenmaru over to the stall, "These are the dresses I was telling you about. Aren't they beautiful Kenmaru?" "Yeah," he replies and leans down next to my ear, "But you're more beautiful than those dresses." I can feel myself blush faintly as he whispers into my ear. Even now, he can still make my heart pound with just his voice. "Go ahead and pick one," he urges me, "I'll get it for you." "Kenmaru," I sigh, "You don't have to pay for everything you know?" "I know," he replies, "But I want to. So go ahead and pick one." I sigh and begin to look at all of the different dresses on display. There's one that catches my eye. It's a knee length halter top dress in blue, purple and green with a beautiful floral pattern running through the purple and blue. I finger it gently and can't believe how silky it feels. "Do you like that one," Kenmaru asks me softly. I nod slowly, still marveling at the feel and beauty of the dress. Before I know it, Kenmaru has paid for the dress and it is placed into a bag and put back in my hands. "Do you want to look around some more," Kenmaru asks me teasingly, "Or do you want to go back and rest?" "Let's go back to the hotel," I reply honestly, "I don't want or need anything else. And besides, now we'll have a couple of hours to rest up before dinner tonight." It was a little after three o'clock now, so we definitely had enough time to do whatever we wanted. But I didn't want to really do anything except spend some private time with my mate.

Kenmaru readily agrees to go back to the hotel. The look in his eyes makes me shiver. I know what type of private time he's thinking about. Geez, now that we're married and mated Kenmaru has turned into quite the hentai. But I know that his hentai behavior is reserved for me and me alone, just as I am only his and his alone. When we reach our room about five minutes after buying my new dress, I barely have time to put my bag down before his arms wrap around my waist and pull me closer to him. I sigh as he nuzzles my neck lovingly, allowing myself to just let go and enjoy the sensations that only he can make me feel. "Kenmaru," I gasp as he begins kissing the bare skin available to him and I moan softly. I begin to turn around in his arms and he lifts his head to look into my eyes. One look and I melt. Wanting to see his true eyes one more time before the night took away his demon beauty, I grasp his necklace and lift it over his head. The moment that the necklace leaves his neck, his lips are on mine. As we deepen the kiss, I'm able to feel the familiar sharpness of his fangs once again as he nips gently at my lower lip. His now present claws gently run over my still clothed body, making me shiver in anticipation. Sensing my need, Kenmaru pulls away long enough to give me another smoldering look with his now molten gold eyes as he lifts my shirt over my head. Wanting to touch him, I grab his shirt and help him to quickly remove it from his body. It's not long before we're kissing again. Just as Kenmaru removes my bra, however, my cell phone rings. I immediately recognize the ringtone as the one I had set for whenever Marrissa decided to actually call me.

"Damnit," I mutter as I break away from Kenmaru, "She just has to call at the worst of times. And if I don't answer, I never hear the end of it from her." Kenmaru also recognizes the ringtone and growls. "Just answer it already," he growls, "She was bound to call eventually. Your sister is very nosey, especially for a neko." I sigh and hit the answer button on my cell. "Hey sis," I say a bit breathlessly, "What's up girl?" "Oh just checking on you," she replies a bit smugly, "I was wondering how you and my new brother-in-law were doing, but it seems I caught you two at the wrong time." "How in the hell," I begin to ask, but she cuts me off. "I can tell from your voice sis," she says and laughs, "And also the fact that your lover boy is muttering under his breath about a nosey neko that calls at the worst of times." Kenmaru growls a bit more audibly now and I sigh. "Well now that you know that we're fine," I say sarcastically while glaring at Kenmaru for his behavior, "Is there anything else that you needed sis?" "Yeah," she replies, "But it can wait. I know that right now you and Kenmaru want to get back to what you were doing." Her voice drips with amusement as she says this, which annoys me slightly. "Hmph," I reply, "You just wait until I call one day and interrupt you and Darnell once the two of you finally tie the knot. Then you won't be so ready to tease me sis." She immediately shuts up and then softly I hear her mutter, "Shit, she's found me out." I look over at Kenmaru and he grins wickedly, which affirms what I had just heard. "Sis," I ask teasingly, "Are you not telling me something?" "Umm," she says hesitantly, "Well you see sis, Darnell and I kind of became mates the same night you and Kenmaru did." "Oh my god sis," I gush, "That's great! I'm so happy for you two! Is there going to be a wedding?" "Yeah," she says happily, "As a matter of fact, we're planning for it to be in about three weeks. You're still going to be my maid of honor right?" "Of course," I reply happily, "I promised you didn't I? And I never break a promise to my sister." "Thanks," she says in relief, "Well I'll let you go. My man is calling me, and I bet yours is waiting for you to hang up the dang phone so that you two can continue what you were doing." I blush brightly and mutter, "Thanks sis. I'll talk to you later then. Bye." "Bye," she replies and the line clicks dead.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
After Kaiti hung up with Marrissa, I immediately go back to what I was doing before. With my arms wrapped around her waist, I kiss her passionately as I lead her over to the bed. The smell of her arousal once again heightens to the intensity it had reached just minutes ago before the interrupting phone call. That one smell about drives me crazy and I smirk knowing that that particular smell is reserved only for me. Once I've got her on the bed, I quickly finish undressing her and myself. As I sense her mounting need and desire, I know that right now we don't need any foreplay. Soon, we're making love and as we reach our peaks we both gasp out each other's name. "I love you," Kaiti whispers as we curl up together afterwards. "I love you too koishii," I whisper back and nuzzle her neck lovingly. She sighs and cranes her neck to look over at the clock. It reads exactly five thirty. "Well koi," she says with a sigh, "I wish we could just lay here for a while, but we have exactly two hours before we have to be at your aunt and uncle's for dinner." "Yeah I know," I reply and sigh as she sits up, "Are you going to go get a shower?" "Yeah," Kaiti says and leans down to kiss me once more on the cheek, "I want to look nice for dinner. It's not everyday that I get to have dinner with your family you know." "Our family," I remind her lovingly and place a quick kiss on her forehead, "Now go ahead and do what you have to do. I'll just watch some TV until you get out. Then I'll hop in." "Ok," she replies and crawls out of bed, "I won't be long." I just nod and watch her as she grabs some underwear and then retrieves the shopping bag from the floor where she had dropped it earlier before heading to the bathroom. I sigh and turn on the TV, quickly finding a Law and Order: SVU marathon to watch on the USA channel.

About twenty minutes after she first disappeared into the bathroom, I hear Kaiti step out of the shower and her content sigh. I allow her another ten minutes to get dressed before grabbing some clothes and stepping into the bathroom with her. She smiles at me softly as I turn the shower on and step in. As I quickly shower, I hear Kaiti turn on her hairdryer, which causes me to wince at how loud it sounds in the small space of the bathroom. My ears lie slightly flat on my head as I step out of the shower and towel off. Kaiti notices and gives me an apologetic smile. Luckily, she's almost done, so I won't have to endure the loud noise for much longer. As a matter of fact, as soon as I pull my shirt over my head Kaiti turns the noisy machine off and begins to make the final touches to her hair. Even though it's not quite close to night fall yet, I'm already feeling weaker than normal as my youkai blood slowly becomes dormant for the night. It might not be time for my transformation yet, but I know that I will have to be careful and on guard when we leave the hotel. My human night always leaves me quite vulnerable, which scares me slightly since this is the first moonless night without having at least someone else nearby to help me protect my mate. I know that I shouldn't be this worried now that both Naraku and Kurayami are gone, but my uneasy feeling from earlier this morning has returned in full force. Something just doesn't feel right. Not wanting to worry Kaiti, however, I try to brush it off and exit the bathroom to retrieve my concealing charm from the coffee table where Kaiti had placed it earlier. I pull it on and sit back down on the bed and watch some more Law and Order as I wait for Kaiti to finish up. Looking over at the clock, I notice that it's about six forty-five now and I sigh wearily. Kaiti always takes a while to get ready for things like this. The moment she steps out of the bathroom though, I'm blown away. The dress I bought her earlier looks amazing on her slim figure and it matches nicely with her fiery hair and baby blue eyes. "How do I look," she asks teasingly. "Beautiful," I reply and grin at her. She blushes slightly and smiles at me when I wrap my arm around her waist. "Ready to go," I ask her teasingly. "Yeah," she replies, "Let's go." I nod and lead her out of our room and to the elevator.

Once we've ridden the elevator downstairs and begin to walk towards the escalators, something begins to feel very wrong. I look over at Kaiti and I can tell that she senses the same thing that I do. Down below waits three youkai with evil intent very apparent in their auras. I make sure that Kaiti stays behind me as we ride down the escalator, preparing for whatever they have to throw at me. As soon as we step off the escalator, I spot the three youkai waiting for us and I know that in my already weakened state I won't be able to hold them off for long. "Kaiti," I whisper urgently, "Go back upstairs to the room and lock the door. Call my aunt and uncle and let them know what's happening. Tell them what room we're in and wait for them to come get you. Go now." "What about you," she whispers tearfully, "I can't just leave you here." "I'll hold them off," I reply and look into her eyes, "Please go now koishii. I need you to be safe." From the look in her eyes, I can tell that she understands. Tears fill her eyes and threaten to spill over as she gets back on the escalator. Before she steps onto the moving stairs, I feel her hand squeeze mine one more time before reluctantly letting go. I watch as she rides back up to the lobby and to safety. I sigh when she's finally out of sight and turn to face the three goons in front of me. "Ok you bastards," I growl low enough for only them to hear, "What do you want with me and my mate?" "Our mistress wants the two of you dead," one of them growls back sinisterly, "And she wishes to take care of you personally. You're coming with us half-breed." "Not without a fight," I growl, which causes them to laugh evilly. "We'll see about that," a second one says and suddenly I smell something very powerful. "Damn you, you bastards," I growl before passing out. Before I know it, everything is suddenly black.

(Kaiti's POV)  
As soon as I get back inside of our room and lock the door, I feel Kenmaru fall unconscious. "Damnit Kenmaru," I whisper and begin to sob, "You knew they were here to take us. That's why you made me leave you, and now they have you." Still sobbing, I stumble over to the bed and sit down heavily. With a shaking hand I pull my cell phone out of my purse and dial Sango and Miroku's home number. Tears continue to fall from my eyes as I wait for someone to answer. Finally I hear Sango's gentle voice answer. "Hello," she says, "This is Sango speaking." "Sango," I sob, "It's me. Something's happened." "Oh Kaiti dear," she gasps, "What's wrong dear? What's happened?" "Kenmaru's been kidnapped," I sob as the tears come faster now, "We were leaving to come over for dinner and there were three youkai waiting for us at the bottom of the escalators. Kenmaru made me come back up to the room and lock the door. He told me to call you and tell you what happened. When I got in the door to the room, I felt him pass out through our link. Now I can barely sense him. They've taken him Sango and I'm afraid they're going to hurt him. Tonight is his human night and he won't be able to defend himself. I'm so worried." "Shh dear," Sango says soothingly, "We're coming to get you. We'll help you to find him dear. Don't worry. Now what room number are you in? We'll come straight to your room to get you." "Room 428," I whimper, "Please hurry. Please, we've got to find him." "We will dear," she replies, "We're on our way." I whisper my thanks and then hang up. Curling up on top of the bed, I grab the pillow that Kenmaru has been using and hold it tightly against my chest. The tears streaming down my cheeks don't seem to want to stop as I continue to sob quietly. We've only been mated for three days now and already I'm close to losing him again.

About twenty minutes later, I hear a faint knocking on the door. Sniffling softly, I get up off the bed and cautiously walk to the door. Using the peep hole, I sigh in relief when I find Sango, Miroku, and Shippo all standing outside in the hallway. Quickly, I open the door and practically collapse into Sango's comforting arms. "Shh dear," she whispers, "We're here now. Don't cry. We need your strength to find him." I take in a deep breath and pull away from here to wipe the tears from my eyes. "What do I have to do," I ask desperately, "What can I do to help find Kenmaru?" Gently, Sango leads me and the boys inside my room and closes the door quietly. "You'll have to use your bond dear," she replies softly as she sits me down on the bed, "You said that you sensed Kenmaru pass out right?" I nod and say, "Yeah. And he's still out cold. That's all that I'm able to get from the link." "You'll have to wake him up then," Shippo tells me seriously, "Use your bond to call out to him. He'll be able to hear you and as soon as he's awake, he can help us locate him." "Ok," I reply softly and use my mind to enter the link I share with Kenmaru. In my mind's eye, I can see Kenmaru. We're in a place filled with soft blue light and we're facing each other. Kenmaru's eyes are closed as he sleeps with a frown on his face. "Koishii," I call out to him with my mind, "Kenmaru, please wake up koi. Please Kenmaru, I need to know that you're alright." His eyes begin to flutter and slowly they open to reveal his still golden orbs. "Kaiti," he whispers softly, "Thank goodness you're safe." I can feel tears fill my eyes again as I continue to use our bond to see him. In my mind, I run to him and wrap my arms around his neck as he takes me into his arms. "I was so worried," I whisper softly, "You're not hurt are you? They've not injured you have they?" "No, not yet," he replies and continues to hold me, "But don't worry about me. I'm just glad you're safe. Are my aunt and uncle with you?" "Yes," I answer softly, "Shippo is here too. He's the one who told me how to reach you." "I'll have to thank him when this is all over," Kenmaru murmurs and sighs, "But for now, I guess I'll have to wait until you can come get me." "Where are you Kenmaru," I ask him and look into his eyes, "Where have they taken you? And are they the only ones there with you?" "From what I can smell," he replies softly, "I'm near the ocean in some type of abandoned garage or something. I can smell the faint scent of spilled gasoline. I think they've got me in the old abandoned hotel towards the end of the beach. It's the only one with any type of old parking garage. And there's one more person here with them. It's Tsubaki, she's their leader." "That evil bitch," I growl angrily, "If she lays one hand on you she's going to be youkai ash when I get my hands on her. She's gone too far this time." "Be careful when you get here koi," Kenmaru warns me softly, "She's got those three goons protecting her, and then she herself is powerful in her own way. Make sure that the others know exactly what you're going up against. They'll be able to help you take care of Tsubaki and her cronies." "I will," I reply softly and lean my head against his chest, "And don't worry, we'll be there as soon as we can." He nods and then winces in pain. "What's wrong koi," I ask worriedly, "Are they hurting you?" "I'm fine," he says and winces again, "One of Tsubaki's goons just thinks it's funny to wake someone up by sticking a knife in their shoulder." I gasp and look at his shoulder. Sure enough, there's blood already dripping from it. At the sight, I can feel my anger swell up inside of me. "They're going to pay when I get my hands on them," I growl before giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek. "We'll be there soon," I whisper, "Just hang in there." He nods and I open my eyes to look up at the three people watching me worriedly. "Let's go," I say sternly, "I know where he is. We need to get there quick. They're already starting to hurt him." They all nod and we swiftly leave the hotel.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
I open my eyes as one of Tsubaki's goons continues to poke me with the knife he had just stabbed me with. "Do you mind," I growl angrily, "You've already made your point by stabbing me with the damn thing." The guy just grins at me and continues to poke me. "You can stop now," Tsubaki orders from where she leans against a nearby wall, "It's my turn." The goon just grins and walks over to join his buddies in guarding the door. As Tsubaki walks over towards where they have me chained up, I can feel Kaiti's presence in our bond become stronger as she and the others draw nearer at a fast pace. "You know Tsubaki," I tell her quietly, "My mate is going to be very pissed when she gets here and sees your disgusting face. You should probably stop now if you don't want to find yourself at the other end of her blade staff. You'll be youkai ash before you can even blink an eye." "That little slut miko of yours," she asks mockingly, "You really think she could kill me half-breed?" "Don't insult her like that," I growl angrily, "Kaiti is far more pure than you could ever hope to be. And yes, she could easily kill you. Who do you think sent Kurayami to Hell? It wasn't me, I can tell you that." "Must have been luck," Tsubaki sneers and lifts her claws up for me to see, "I'm going to enjoy this Kenmaru. I can't wait till your mate arrives and finds you covered in your own blood." I growl at her and then wince as she shoves her claws into my stomach without warning. "Aww did that hurt," she asks mockingly, "You're weak you know. First you fall for a human miko and then you leave yourself vulnerable on your human night." I go to growl an insult at her, but instead I wince in pain as I feel my transformation finally take place. Now I can't even move without feeling the pain rush through my body from the wounds in my shoulder and stomach. "You bitch," I finally growl, "How did you know that tonight was my human night?" "I've been observing you for years Kenmaru," she replies smugly, "Back when I still had a chance at making you mine, I wanted to know everything about the man I saw as my potential mate." I growl at her again when she laughs evilly. "Of course now," she sneers, "I'll just have to use my knowledge to make you suffer greatly before killing you and in turn your mate right before her very eyes."

Tsubaki continues to inflict minor wounds on me as I wait patiently for my koishii to arrive. From our bond, I can sense that she's almost here. I can also tell that she senses my pain and that she is very, very pissed at this moment. Moments later, I hear commotion from the garage entrance as my brother Shippo proceeds to drive my aunt and uncle's car up and into the area that I'm being held in. Before Tsubaki's goons can do anything about it, he has already leaped out of the driver's seat and killed every one of them. My uncle gets out of the front passenger seat as my aunt and Kaiti exit from the backseat. The second that she's out of the car, Kaiti has already summoned her staff to her and is glaring at Tsubaki angrily. "How dare you, you bitch," Kaiti growls at Tsubaki, "You've gone too far this time. I'm going to kill you for kidnapping and injuring my mate." Confident that Kaiti won't be much of a threat, Tsubaki carelessly steps away from me and walks towards the angry miko in front of her. "You honestly think that you can kill me," she sneers mockingly, "In your dreams bitch." "Oh really," Kaiti asks angrily, "Then I guess you're not worried about me doing this then?" Her eyes flash dangerously as my koishii lifts her blade staff and gracefully aims deadly blades of spiritual energy towards the foolish youkai before her. "What," Tsubaki screams as, one by one, Kaiti's attacks hit home and destroy her piece by piece, "No, this can't be happening!" Finally, the largest of Kaiti's attacks hits Tsubaki head on and she dissolves into a puff of youkai ash. "Good riddance," Kaiti growls and lets her staff dissolve into nothing.

(Kaiti's POV)  
After I let my staff dissolve into nothing, I turn towards my mate and run to him. "Kenmaru," I sob in relief and hug him tightly, "Thank goodness. I was so worried. I felt them hurting you and then I felt it when you became human. I'm sorry it took us so long to get here." Kenmaru leans his forehead against mine as his brother uses a metal key to unlock the shackles chaining him to the wall. "Shh," he whispers, "Don't cry koishii. Everything's going to be fine now. You saved me Kaiti." As Shippo unlocks the last shackle, Kenmaru leans against the wall for support and wraps me in his arms. I sigh and look up into his eyes. His chocolate brown eyes are filled with nothing but love, even though I can feel the pain he is in through our link. "Come on, let's get out of here," I finally say softly, "We need to get you somewhere where we can bandage up those wounds for the night." He nods and with some help from his brother and uncle, we get him into the backseat of the car with me and Sango. Thankfully, Sango had brought a large first aid kit along with us. By the time we reached their house, Kenmaru was already bandaged up and was able to eat a satisfying meal with some help from me. About an hour later, Miroku and Shippo drive us back to our hotel. Luckily, Kenta and Sakura were both about the same size as Kenmaru and I and we were able to change out of our ruined clothes before returning to the hotel. During the ride back, Kenmaru and I are silent and just hold each other for comfort. When we arrive at the hotel, Miroku and Shippo help me lead an unsteady Kenmaru upstairs to our room. Once they're sure we're fine for the night, they say their goodbyes and leave us be. Kenmaru sighs as he lies down on the bed. I'm glad that he's human for the night, or else he would have definitely felt guilty for the scent of tears that was surely still gracing his pillow from earlier. "I'm sorry koishii," he whispers softly, "I'm sorry that I worried you so much. I'm also sorry that your beautiful dress got ruined. I know how much you liked it." I laugh at him softly and kiss his cheek lovingly. "It's ok," I whisper, "I don't care that my dress is ruined. It's just a piece of clothing. I'm just glad that you're safe. I wish we had gotten to you sooner though. Then maybe you wouldn't be so injured." "Don't worry about that," he says softly, "I'll be fine once the night is over and I take it easy tomorrow. The medicine my aunt put on my wounds has already helped them to close up. By tomorrow night, I'll be as good as new." I sigh and curl up beside him. He wraps an arm around me waist and buries his face in my hair. "I love you Kenmaru," I whisper softly. "I love you too," he whispers back and kisses my forehead, "Now get some sleep koishii. It's been a long day." I nod my head in agreement and close my eyes. Before I know it, I'm out like a light.


	19. TH: Healing and Loving

**Southern Love**

Chapter 19: Tropical Happenings 3: Healing and Loving

(Kenmaru's POV)  
The next morning, I wake up feeling slightly sore, but relaxed all the same. The early morning sun shines into our room through the balcony window and brightens the otherwise darkened room. I can feel my normal fangs, claws, and ears once again now that the moonless night is over. I sigh as I turn my head to smile down at my still sleeping mate. During the night, Kaiti had curled up even closer to me and now her head was lying peacefully on top of my chest and one arm is wrapped around my stomach. Gently, I raise one clawed hand and begin to stroke her hair lovingly as she continues to sleep. When she begins to stir a few minutes later, I lean down and tenderly kiss her forehead as she sighs and slowly opens her beautiful blue eyes. She looks up at me and her blue meets my gold as our eyes lock. "Kenmaru," she whispers softly and then wraps her arms around my neck. I wrap my arms around her and pull her closer as she buries her face into my chest. As I hold her, begin to feel her warm tears falling onto my chest and I can smell the salt from her tears. "Shh koishii," I whisper and pull her closer as she cries, "Everything's ok now. Please stop crying. You know I hate it when you cry." "I'm sorry koi," she whispers, "I can't help it. I almost lost you again last night. If it wasn't for our bond, I might not have gotten to you in time. I don't know what I would have done if I'd been too late." "It's ok," I reply and kiss her forehead once again, "What matters is that you found me and now everything is over. We won't have to worry about Tsubaki or anyone else trying to separate us ever again. We're together now and that's all that matters to me." She sighs and looks up at me with love filled eyes. Gently, I lift my fingers to her face and lovingly wipe the tears away. She smiles at me and kisses me tenderly, her mouth warm and sweet against mine. Pulling away, she leans her forehead against mine and sighs. When my stomach suddenly rumbles, she grins at me and finally sits up fully. "Breakfast time huh," she asks teasingly. "After we get dressed," I reply teasingly, "I'm not going out in public in my cousin's clothes." "Or without this," Kaiti says and holds up my concealing charm, "And I've also got to change your bandages." I grab my necklace and slip it over my head as Kaiti walks into the bathroom to grab the first aid kit provided by my aunt and uncle. By the time she comes back out of the bathroom, I've already taken off Kenta's shirt and wait patiently for her to begin her ministrations.

Kaiti sits on the bed and gently removes the old bandages from my wounds. She sighs at the sight of my already almost healed injuries. "You don't have to waste those bandages you know," I tell her gently, "I don't need them and in a few hours I'll be completely fine." "Are you sure," she asks worriedly, "I could bandage them just in case." "I'm sure," I reply and lift a hand to caress her cheek, "Don't worry koi. I'm going to be fine." She sighs again and reluctantly packs the bandages away. "Ok," she says softly and then smiles when my stomach growls again. "You better get dressed," she says teasingly, "Or your stomach isn't going to like you if you don't feed it." I grin at her and give her a quick kiss before getting off of the bed and walking over towards my things. She just smiles at me and goes to grab some clothes for herself. Soon we're both dressed and heading out the door. I let my nose lead us to a small restaurant not that far from our hotel. "This is great," Kaiti exclaims later as she takes her first bite, "Your nose has once again found us a really great place to eat koi." "Glad you like it," I say teasingly and smirk at her, "And you should know by now that my nose is never wrong woman." Kaiti mock glares at me and sticks her tongue out at me, which I find very adorable. Still smirking, I continue to eat my breakfast as she finally gives up on trying to tease me and takes another bite of food. "So," I say after a few bites, "What do you want to do today koi? Once again we have nothing planned until later tonight." "Oh really," she asks curiously, "And what are we doing tonight?" "Going to a luau," I reply and smile at her, "It's one that provides dinner and a show." "That sounds nice," she says and takes another bite of food. She chews slowly and I can just imagine what she's thinking about. "Well," she says finally, "How about we go to the beach? And maybe would could go back to the marketplace. Now that the other dress is ruined, I don't really have anything I would want to wear to the luau. Besides, I bet with some lucky we'll find another one just like it." "Sounds good to me," I reply with a smile, "Besides that dress did look amazing on you. I wouldn't mind buying you another if I get to see you wear it tonight. We can go to the market first and find you another dress and then we can head back to the hotel to change for the beach." "Sounds like a plan," she says happily and finishes the last of her meal. We soon leave the restaurant after I pay and leave a nice tip. As we head back towards the market, I wrap my arm around Kaiti's waist and she leans her head against my shoulder. I feel peaceful knowing this is how we'll always be.

(Kaiti's POV)  
Sure enough, as soon as we find the stall where we had bought my dress yesterday afternoon, I spot another dress exactly like the one that got ruined the night before. Kenmaru quickly buys it for me and soon we're back in our room changing into our swim suits. Today, I decide to wear a aqua blue bikini that has a bubble gum pink band running across the top of the bottoms and the underside of the top. Kenmaru decides to wear a simple red pair of swimming trunks that goes nicely with his sun-kissed skin. Before we leave, Kenmaru insists on helping me put on sun screen so that I don't completely fry. With my pale skin I burn quickly and gain nothing but more freckles and a light tan after the burn is healed. Finally I pull on a cover-up for the walk to the beach and Kenmaru pulls on another muscle shirt like the one he wore yesterday. My koishii looks damn sexy in a nice muscle shirt. As we long down the street and move steadily closer to the beach, Kenmaru's arm is firmly encircled around my waist. Through our link, I can feel his happiness as we walk along peacefully. When we reach the beach I open the bag that I had brought along with us and pull out the two large towels that I had packed and spread them out for us to lounge on. With a happy sigh, I pull off my cover-up and look towards the beautiful blue water lapping against the shore. I can't help but smile at the sight, it's so amazing. Once Kenmaru has pulled his shirt off, I grab his hand and together we walk down to the water. When we reach the shoreline and I feel the water begin to lap at my feet, I sigh again and dig my toes into the moist sand. I've always loved going to the beach, and today is even better than any other time I've been to a beach. This time, I've got Kenmaru with me and together as a couple we're able to walk along down the beach as the waves lap at our feet. Once again, his arm is wrapped around my waist and I can feel all of his love through our bond. Just walking there with him, I know that our future together will be a happy one. After we walk for a while, Kenmaru and I decide to head back to our towels to lounge for a while. When we finally reach our small spot of the beach, my stomach suddenly rumbles. "I guess it's lunch time huh," Kenmaru teases. "Yeah, I guess," I reply and laugh, "I didn't even notice what time it was until now. I'm surprised I didn't feel hungry sooner." "Were you a bit distracted koi," he asks teasingly. "Yeah," I reply and kiss him hungrily, "Because I've been wanting to do this as soon as you took your shirt off." He chuckles huskily against my lips and returns the kiss. When he finally pulls away so that we can breathe, he whispers in my ear, "We better stop now, or else I might have to drag you back to the hotel so that we can continue."

I giggle and kiss his cheek lovingly. "I guess we can stop," I reply, "Besides I'm hungry and I also want to get a little sun. Maybe I'll get lucky today and actually tan a little." "Ok," he says and turns to look down the beach, "I think I'll go grab us some lunch from that concession stand over there. Will you be ok here?" "Yeah," I reply and stretch out on my towel, "Besides, you know me well enough to get whatever I'd like. Just hurry back." "Always," he says and kisses my cheek before loping off towards the concession stand. I sigh happily and roll over to enjoy the feel of the sun on my back. I lay there for a few minutes before a shadow suddenly falls on top of me, blocking out the sun. I look up to find three guys staring at me. "Can I help you," I ask them slightly annoyed, "If not, please go away. I'm trying to get some sun here." "Yeah you can help us," one of them answers and gives me a lecherous smile, "You can help us by coming with us and having a good time. What do you say?" "No," I reply shortly, "I'm already taken boys so just back off. My husband will be back soon. He just went to get us some lunch." "You're a bit young to already be married sweetheart," one of them sneers, "I bet you're lying. What's wrong huh? Too good for the likes of us little girl?" Angry now, I leap up off of my towel and glare angrily at them. "I'm not lying," I growl, "I am happily married and would prefer if you three leave me alone. Go find some other girl to harass will you?" "Ooh, this one's got a temper," one of the guys sneers, "And she's got to be lying. Look she's not wearing a wedding ring." "And with good reason," I growl in reply, "As if I'd risk losing one of my most precious possessions in the ocean! Leave now, or else you're going to be in big trouble when my husband gets back." "I don't think so sweetie," one of them says and goes to grab me. "What the hell do you think you're doing to my wife," I hear Kenmaru snarl from behind them. The three guys turn around and find a very angry disguised inu hanyou glaring at them. "They haven't hurt you have they," he asks me as he continues to glare at the three in front of him. "No," I reply, "But they're being very persistent. They thought I was lying about being married and were trying to get me to leave with them." "Sorry man," one of the three says and gulps when Kenmaru growls at him, "We honestly didn't think she was already taken. We'll leave now. Come on guys." The other two look at him and sigh. "Damn," one of them mutters as they walk away, "All of the good ones are always taken."

(Kenmaru's POV)  
I continue to glare at the three guys who had been bothering Kaiti as they walk away. When they finally leave the beach, I sigh and sit down on my towel beside my koishii. "Looks like I'm not going to be able to leave you alone anywhere while we're here," I say wearily, "Or else I'll keep having to save you from perverts like those three." Kaiti sighs and says, "I'm sorry Kenmaru. I was just minding my own business when they came up to me. They thought I wasn't married just because I'm not wearing my ring. I can't believe they'd think that I'd wear it to the beach and risk losing it. I never want to lose something that you give me." "It's ok koi," I reply and smile at her, "Here, I got you a burger and some fries. From the smell, they should taste pretty good." Kaiti just smiles and takes a bite out of her burger. From the expression on her face, I can tell that once again I have succeeded in supplying her with good food. "That good huh," I ask teasingly. "Yeah," she replies after swallowing her food, "You've done it once again koishii. This is one of the best hamburgers I've ever tasted." I just smile and laugh at her obvious enjoyment. After we're done with out lunch, we get up off of our towels and decide to walk the beach again. This time though, Kaiti playfully runs out further into the water and lets the waves break against her. I grin and run after her. I playfully tackle her and before I know it, we're on our butts sitting in the waves. Kaiti laughs happily and kisses me playfully on the cheek as we let the waves wash over us. A grin forms on my lips as I stand up and lift her into my arms bridal style. She wraps her arms around my neck and laughs when I spin her around before setting her down on her feet. "Hey Kenmaru," Kaiti says happily, "Do you want to get out of here? I think now is the perfect time for us to go back to the room and clean up." Through our bond I can sense her love and burning desire that brightens her eyes. I just grin and respond my lifting her into my arms and then quickly make my way back to our towels. She giggles when I set her down and I grin at her as I pick up her towel and shake the sand out of it. She wraps up in it and dries off before putting her cover-up back on. Meanwhile, I shake the sand out of my own towel and use it to dry off before once more putting on my shirt. Kaiti then tosses our towels into her bag and takes my hand. Together, we walk off the beach with our fingers entwined.

When we walk into our room, Kaiti goes out onto the balcony and quickly hangs up our beach towels so that they can dry out. She then comes back into the room and takes off her cover-up with a sigh. Before I go to her, I take off my shirt and toss it to the floor. I notice that her back is turned as she folds up her cover-up and lays it on top of her suitcase. Wanting to surprise her a bit, I quietly remove the beads from around my neck and let my hanyou features return to me. Moving up behind her, I wrap my arms around her and begin bestow gentle kisses on her neck and shoulder. "Kenmaru," she whispers softly and bares more of her neck to me. Gently, I begin to nip and suck at the silver crescent moon that marked her as mine. Her soft gasp and low moan of pleasure grace my sensitive ears as I continue to kiss her. She turns around in my arms so that I can kiss her lips, and I oblige her. Her lips are soft and warm against mine, and also very needy. Almost immediately, I deepen the kiss and pull her tighter to me. With one clawed hand, I reach behind her and gently untie the knot holding her bikini top in place. As the material falls from her body, she moans and presses her lips harder against mine. Still kissing, I lead her over to the bed and remove the rest of her bikini from her body. As she lies beneath me, I gently run my clawed hands down her body, groaning at the feel of her. Just touching her drives me almost insane. "Koishii," she moans and pulls me closer to her. Through our link, I can tell that she is far too needy and filled with desire for me to hold off much longer. Moments later, and we're making love passionately. The fire that we spark in each other burns just as brightly, if not brighter, than our very first night together. There with her, I know that she'll always be able to do this to me. She'll always be able to make me go absolutely insane with love and need for her. Finally, we both reach the completion that we can only receive from each other. My need abated for the moment, I collapse onto the sheets beside my mate. Glancing over at the clock, I see that it reads four o'clock. We have to be at the pick-up location for the luau tonight by six, so I nuzzle my koishii gently and whisper into her ear, "You might want to start getting ready for tonight koi. We've got two hours before we have to be at the pick-up station for the luau." She sighs and rolls over to kiss me gently. "Thanks for the warning," she says softly and sits up slowly. I watch as she goes and prepares for her usual routine. Knowing her, it'll take about fifteen minutes for her to shower and then another forty-five minutes or so to get dressed and completely ready. I just sigh and lay back against my pillow. Her dressing routine is another thing that will never change about my mate.

(Kaiti's POV)  
About an hour after I first hopped into the shower, I'm dressed and ready to go for the evening. My dear mate is also ready. I can't help but mentally drool at the sight of him in khaki shorts and a polo shirt. I notice his cocky grin and I can tell that he's noticed my approval of his outfit. I can feel myself blush and his grin widens. Stepping closer to me, he whispers in my ear, "It's good to know that I can still make you blush. You look adorable when you do." I can feel my face heat up as my blush deepens and he laughs happily. "Come on koishii," he says cheerfully, "We can take our time and walk to the pick-up location. It's nice out tonight, so let's enjoy it." "Ok," I reply and take his hand, "You look amazing by the way." "So do you," he replies and kisses my cheek, "I'm glad I bought you that dress. It looks absolutely stunning on you." I just smile and let him lead me over to the elevators. Once we reach the street, I take in a deep breath and sigh. "I can smell the ocean all the way from here," I say peacefully, "I love the smell of the sea. It's so peaceful." "It does smell nice," Kenmaru says calmly, "But not as nice as you." "You really think so," I ask and blush slightly. "Of course," he replies and whispers in my ear, "Your scent has driven me crazy practically since the day I first met you. It's sweeter than vanilla more floral than any flower on Earth. Anyone would be crazy to not absolutely love your scent." His words are heartfelt and looking into his eyes I can see all of his love for me. "I'm so lucky to have you," I murmur and kiss him tenderly, "I love you." "I love you too koi," he whispers and pulls me closer to him as we walk along. I sigh happily and lean into him. Before I know it, we're at the pick-up station and stand there waiting with many other people. To my surprise, most of them are youkai or hanyou and the rest have spiritual power of some sort or are mated to those present with youkai blood. 'Wow,' I can't help but think, 'I wonder if Kenmaru planned this.' 'Nope,' I hear him respond in my head, and I can't help but smile. Our bond has gotten stronger just over the course of a few days. 'This is completely unexpected,' he tells me in my mind, 'But it's also helpful. We won't have to worry about anyone trying to bother us.' I sigh, knowing that he's right. Also, I can sense no evil from any of the people surrounding us. With Kenmaru's arm wrapped around my waist, I'm content to stand there and wait for the bus to arrive.

About fifteen minutes after we arrive at the pick-up location, a familiar aura begins to brush against mine. Through our link, I can tell that Kenmaru has no clue as to who this newcomer is. 'Apparently it's someone you know that I don't,' he thinks to me, 'That's the only way their aura would be familiar. Whoever it is though, they have a strong spiritual aura.' I nod and turn around as a familiar voice calls my name. "Kaiti," the voice asks, "Kaiti Shealy is that you? I've not seen you in years!" As I turn around completely, I find myself staring into the smiling face of someone who I had thought that I'd never see again. "Oh my god," I say in surprise, "Derek? Derek Amick is that you? Wow, you've not changed a bit! Your hair is even the same as I last saw it. I guess you let it grow back out again huh?" "Yeah," he says with a laugh, "I let it grow out again after you lectured me over the phone the night I told you that I'd shaved it. You've not changed much either. I'm not surprised that your seal broke already." Kenmaru and I stare at him for a moment before I ask, "How in the hell did you know about the seal? I didn't even find out about it until it accidentally broke during a battle." "I can sense things like that," he says calmly and shrugs. He then grins at me and says, "So, you've grown up and become a powerful miko and the mate of an inu hanyou eh? How'd that happen?" "Long story," I reply and look up at my wonderful husband, "But I'm glad that it did happen. I've got possibly the most wonderful mate and husband in the entire world." Kenmaru grins at me and says, "And I can definitely say the same about you koi. You're it for me Kaiti, for the rest of our lives." Derek just smiles at us. "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself to you," he says to Kenmaru apologetically, "It's just been a long time since Kaiti and I last saw or even talked with each other. I'm Derek Amick." "It's alright man," Kenmaru replies and extends his hand, "I'm Kenmaru. Kenmaru Taisho." Derek's eyes widen as he takes the offered hand. "Wow this is an honor," Derek says excitedly, "I never imagined that I'd meet one of the son's of the Taisho family." I can't help but laugh at his excitement. "I was the same way when Kenmaru told me who he really was," I tell him slightly amused, "Remember I told you about my love of anime? Well a friend of mine got me to watch this particular one that just happened to tell me everything about my future in-laws. Ironic right?" Derek nods and laughs just as the bus arrives. "Well I better go," he says, "Or else my girlfriend might get jealous." I laugh and say, "Tell her she doesn't need to worry, I'm already taken and proud to be so." Kenmaru smiles at me and kisses my forehead as Derek smiles and walks away.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
"That was interesting," I say calmly after we get back to our hotel from the luau. It had been a great night. The food was good and there was even some dancing done on the small dance floor. "Yeah," Kaiti says happily and leans against me as we sit down on the bed and start to watch TV, "Who knew that I'd run into an old friend here. I've not seen Derek since church camp back in my freshman year. The cabins were co-ed and he was in my cabin group. Man did we have fun that year. That and the food at the luau was amazing. I had a great time tonight." I can't help but smile at her and kiss her forehead. "I had a good time too," I tell her softly, "The whole day was great, except for the beach incident this morning." "Yeah," she replies, "But you got to me just in time, so nothing bad happened. You've made this day amazing koishii." "And I plan to make the rest of our days here amazing as well," I tell her lovingly and kiss her tenderly. The TV is soon forgotten as we deepen the kiss and concentrate on only each other. Minutes later, we're making love to each other for the second time today. About an hour or so later, we finally reach our peaks and collapse into each other's arms for sleep. That night, we share our dreams for the first time. I smile in my sleep as our bond continues to strengthen. The stronger our bond, the stronger we'll be as a team. I honestly can't wait for whatever life throws at us because I know that with Kaiti, I'll be able to face anything.


	20. Home Again

**Southern Love**

_I don't own Inuyasha. This is fanfiction. Sorry about not putting this is earlier. I hope you enjoy the story._

Chapter 20: Home Again 

(Kaiti's POV)  
I try to stretch as much as possible to work all of the kinks out of my body as I step out of the car and look towards my beautiful home. Kenmaru and I had just arrived home from our week long honeymoon in Hawaii. Looking at the beautiful two story house in front of me, I can't help but smile and shake my head at the generosity of my in-laws. As I stand there, I can't help but wonder how they knew I'd always wanted a house on the lake. Knowing them, they probably wrung the information out of either my parents or Kenmaru. I sigh and step around to the back of the car to help Kenmaru grab our suitcases, but he just shakes his head. "I got these koi," he says with a grin, "Don't worry about them. Go on inside and call your parents. They'll want to know that we're home." "Ok," I reply, "Should I call your parents too? Knowing your mom, she'd love to know that we're home." "Go ahead," he says, "Knowing my mom, she'll probably have already guessed what time we'd get home and will invite us to dinner." "My mom might beat her to the punch," I tell him and laugh, "Or they might have conspired together. They would do that you know." He just laughs and says, "Yeah, you're probably right. I won't be surprised if they did." I grin and shake my head as I walk into the house and set my purse down on the staircase. That habit is one I developed from my mom. When I was growing up, she'd always come in the house and set her pocketbook on the staircase. Heading into the kitchen, I grab my cell phone out of my pocket and dial my parents' number. While I wait for someone to pick up the phone, I open the refrigerator to find that my in-laws had taken the liberty of stocking the fridge for when we returned. I grab a soda and smile as I finally hear my mom answer the phone. "Hey baby," she says excitedly, "Are you two home yet?" "Yeah Mama," I reply, "We just got in. Did you miss us?" "Of course we did baby," my mom replies and laughs, "Of course I'm not sure who missed you the most, your dad or Kagome. Do you know that your dad once again used the Delta website to watch your take-off and landings for both flights? Just like he did the last time you went to Hawaii." "And don't tell me," I say with a sigh, "Kagome was either their to watch it with him or did something else equal to that right?" From my mother's laughter, I know that I hit the nail on the head. As I continue to talk with my mom, I can't help but think about how great it is to be home.

The next call I make is to Kenmaru's parents. While I had talked to my mom, he had taken our bags upstairs and then came back down to talk with my mom some before she finally decided to hang up. As I dial their number, Kenmaru looks at me and smiles. "I'm telling you," he says knowingly, "My mom is going to pick up right after the first ring. Knowing her, she's sitting beside the phone waiting for us to call." "We'll see," I reply in amusement, "But something tells me that you're right." Sure enough, the phone only rings once before Kagome answers. "Hello dear," Kagome greets cheerfully, "I'm guessing that you two just got back?" "Yeah we did," I reply and look over at Kenmaru, who's grinning smugly at being proved right, "You didn't miss us too much did you? My mom just finished telling me about how my dad used the airline website to watch us take-off and land for both flights." "Well I didn't do anything like that," Kagome says amused, "But we did miss you. Sango called and told us what happened to you two with that Tsubaki girl. From what she told me, you my dear were very brave. I'm proud of you and so very thankful. You stayed strong and because of that the two of you were able to come back home." "Thanks," I reply softly, "I just can't believe she was that obsessed to follow us all the way from here to Hawaii. As soon as I heard her voice though when Sango answered the door, I knew that we weren't rid of her yet. She made all of us quite furious as she just stood there and insulted us. I think that if it wasn't for having to take care of the twins, Lauren might have wailed on her." "That sounds like her," Kagome says with a laugh, "Sango also told me that Lauren is an old friend of yours just like Jenna and Emmy. I'm guessing you four all knew each other from school?" "Yeah," I reply, "As a matter of fact, it was the three of them that got me to watch anime in the first place. I wonder if they somehow sensed that I needed to know about you before I met you. Your story was the one anime they all insisted that I watch. All of their other suggestions were completely different from each others." "Well from what Kenmaru has told me," she says kindly, "Anyone could sense that there was something special about you before the seal on your powers was ever broken. That and you're probably right. Youkai and hanyou are very instinctual and they know that their instincts are never wrong." "I know," I say and smile over at Kenmaru, "Ever since I've know all of you, none of your instincts have been wrong." "That's what happens when you become apparent of an inu youkai family," Kagome says knowingly, "Oh, before I forget. Did the two of you have any dinner plans for this evening? If not, you're welcome to come join us."

(Kenmaru's POV)  
'Right on cue,' I can't help but think as my mother asks Kaiti for us to join them for dinner. 'Just like we thought,' my koishii thinks back with amusement, 'What do you think mate? Shall we have dinner with your parents?' I look up to find her smiling at me happily. "Sure," I say, "Why not? Tell her we'll be there." "That'll be great," Kaiti tells my mom, "We'll be there. What time do you want us to be there?" My mom is immediately overjoyed and tells us to come as soon as we're ready. When Kaiti finally hangs up the phone, she sighs and smiles over at me. "You were right koishii," she says, "She was prepared for our return home, dinner plans and all." "That's because I know my mother," I reply and sigh, "Do you just want to go ahead and head on over there? We might as well since we really have nothing else to do." "Sure," she says, "Let me just grab my purse and we can go." She walks over to the staircase and grabs her purse and pulls it onto her shoulder. "Let's go," she says with a sigh, "We don't want to keep your mom waiting." I nod and sigh before meeting her at the door and walking with her to the car. "I'm actually kind of suspicious about this," Kaiti says as we drive along, "My mom didn't even bring up dinner while we were talking. They collaborated I'm telling you. Don't be surprised when we pull up and there's a whole party waiting for us." "You're probably right," I reply and sigh, "But at least we can go ahead and get this over with. If we didn't, they'd still be asking us questions about our trip weeks from now." "They would," she agrees and laughs, "And knowing a few of them, they might still be asking us questions. Especially my sister." "Yeah," I reply and then grin at a sudden thought, "But at least with Rissa we'll have some ammunition to halt her questions. All we have to do is ask her about what she and Darnell were doing while we were gone." "You're right," Kaiti says and laughs, "I can't wait to see the look on her face when I ask her about it! It'll be priceless!" I just nod and laugh along with her. Before long, we arrive at my parents' house and discover that there is indeed a whole party waiting on us." "Rissa is here," Kaiti says excitedly, "Even your uncle is here! Wow, what a crowd!" I look at the numerous cars in my parents' driveway and frown slightly when I see some that I don't recognize. "Hey Kaiti," I say curiously, "Do you know whose cars those are?" I point out the four cars in question. "Oh my goodness," she replies with sudden excitement, "My dad's side of the family is here! My uncles and my cousins are all here!" I smile at her excitement as we park in the driveway and get out of the car. "Well I can't wait to meet them then," I say with a grin. Sniffing the air tentatively, I laugh as I catch the scent of four unfamiliar wolf hanyou and one bear hanyou. "What's so funny koi," Kaiti asks curiously. "Oh nothing," I reply and grin at her, "It's just that it seems that you have five more relatives with youkai blood in their veins."

(Kaiti's POV)  
I can't help but grin as Kenmaru tells me that five of my relatives are apparently hanyou. "Let me guess," I ask somewhat teasingly, "Four of them are one kind of youkai and the fifth one is different than the rest?" "Yeah," Kenmaru replies surprised, "How did you know that?" "Because koishii," I say smugly, "They can only be five certain people. My bet is that it's my cousin Todd and his three boys and my dear adopted cousin Robby. Now let's go inside and have some fun." Kenmaru just smiles and wraps his arm around my waist as we approach the door. Just as I'm about to press the doorbell, the door opens to reveal my father-in-law grinning happily. "Finally," Inuyasha says sarcastically, "You know that both of your mothers have been driving us up the wall ever since you called saying that you were home." "Good to see you too Dad," Kenmaru replies with a grin and hugs his dad warmly. I also get a hug as we step into the front hallway of my in-laws amazing house. "Let me guess," I say knowingly as I take in the delicious aromas coming from the kitchen, "They've been cooking all afternoon too." "Yes we have," my mom says as she comes up to hug both of us, "We had to start early in order to have enough for everyone." "Of course," I reply and smile as Kagome sticks her head in the doorway. "Oh you're finally here," she says excitedly and races over to hug both of us, "Welcome home!" "Thanks Mom," Kenmaru says warmly as he hugs her, "We had a great trip, but honestly it is nice to be home." "Yeah it is," I agree with a soft smile, "Hawaii is great, but it's not home." "It better not be sis," an excited Marrissa says suddenly as she comes barreling into the room, "I missed you too much!" "I missed you too sis," I say with a laugh and return her bear hug, "Dang, I don't think we've ever gone that long without texting each other!" "No we haven't," she replies, "I honestly I don't intend to ever go that long without talking to you ever again. My brother-in-law in just going to have to deal with it." "Should've seen that coming," Kenmaru says with a sigh, "Oh well. I'm used to all forms of sisterly behavior by now." "As you should be," Rissa says smugly. I just roll my eyes at her as he wraps his arm around my waist again.

I can hear voices coming from the living room as we get closer to the doorway. "Who's all here," I ask curiously. "Well," Rissa replies, "There's the whole gang, including Tashio, Kiba, Emmy, and Jenna. Then Kenmaru's aunt and uncle are here. And then both sides of your family." "Does that include my step-cousins on my dad's side," I ask tentatively. "Nope," Rissa answers, "It's just your uncles and your cousins." Mentally, I sigh in relief as we step into the living room. "I thought I heard my little red-head," my uncle Ricky says with grin. "Uncle Ricky," I say excitedly and race to hug him, "It's so good to see you!" "It's good to see you too red," he replies, "Now what's this I hear about you being married huh? Who's the lucky man?" I smile at him and step back to allow for Kenmaru to come up beside me. "You heard right Uncle Ricky," I say happily, "I am married, and this is my husband Kenmaru." My uncle grins and shakes Kenmaru's hand. "Nice to meet you young man," he says with a grin, "From what I hear, you've done quite a lot for my little brother and his family. I really do appreciate all you've done." "It's nice to meet you too sir," my koishii replies with a grin of his own, "And you don't have to thank me. I did what I had to do to make sure that Kaiti was safe. Of course, now I might not have to do so much since she's gotten so much stronger since when we first met." "You're right about that," my uncle says with a laugh, "Even though I bet she's still going to be quite a handful." "Thanks a lot Uncle Ricky," I mutter sarcastically, "Handful my butt." Kenmaru laughs happily and wraps an arm around my waist again. "What wrong with being a handful huh," he asks me teasingly, "I'm fine with it. You are my handful after all." "Yeah I am," I reply and smile up at him, "And you're stuck with me koishii." "That's why I feel so sorry for the dog boy right now," a familiar voice says suddenly, "You've not changed one bit squirt." "Robby," I say angrily as I turn to face him, "I can say the same thing for you at least. You're still the same annoying baka that you've been since we were kids." Robby just grins at me and laughs. "And I'm proud to be the same baka that I've been my whole life," he says smugly, "You have to admit, I was smart for a cub." I just roll my eyes at him and look up at Kenmaru. "Kenmaru," I say with a sigh, "This baka bear hanyou sitting on the couch is my dear adopted cousin Robby. He's the one that teased me when I was little." "I thought I smelled a bear," Kenmaru says calmly, "This goes to show you that my nose is never wrong." Robby stares at Kenmaru for a little bit before finally saying, "Yeah, he'll do. I have to admit squirt, I'm not surprised that you caught a guy like this one. Even if you are annoying, you've always been a looker red." "Wow," I say in awe, "An actual compliment! This is a moment for the history books!" "Haha," Robby replies sarcastically, "Very funny squirt."

After trading a few more teasing insults with Robby, Kenmaru and I greet and talk with my Uncle Roger and cousin Jessica, or Beanie as my family calls her. Then we go over and greet my cousin Todd and his three boys, Skyler, Dalton, and Carter. Todd is the son of my Aunt Anita, who was eleven years older than my dad. She died a few years before I was born, so I never knew her. Todd is so much older than me in fact, that his oldest son is only two years younger than I am. "It's so good to see you again Todd," I say as I give him a warm hug, "I'm glad that you could come tonight." "Same here," he replies as he returns my hug, "But I have to warn you Kaiti, when Uncle Ricky called me and told me about this party my sister came barging into my house and heard about tonight. Knowing her, she's going to try to come tonight." "What," I ask suddenly tense, "She's still out on parole? Dang it! If she does come here tonight, she better behave or else it won't be my dad kicking her out, it'll be me." "I'm obviously missing something here," Kenmaru says calmly, "Care to fill me in koishii?" "Yeah sure," I reply and sit down on the couch. He sits down beside me and puts an arm around my shoulder. I lean into his touch and sigh before beginning to explain. "My cousin Amanda, or Mandy," I tell Kenmaru calmly, "Is basically the family black sheep. After my Aunt Anita died, my Granny Shealy took in Todd and Mandy and provided for them. Mandy, however, wanted more. She got involved with a bad crowd and began doing drugs and stuff. Then when she started running out of money, she began forging Granny's signature onto checks that she wrote to herself. She also took to stealing and other stuff like that. She's been in and out of jail ever since. She was on the run back when Granny got sick. After Granny died, the police came to her visitation and asked my dad and uncles if they would allow for two undercover cops to attend Granny's funeral incase Amanda showed up. She never did. She eventually got caught, but a few years ago she got out on parole." "Hmm," Kenmaru says calmly, "And I bet that ever since she's been trying to get some money out of all of you." "Yeah," I say with a sigh, "Luckily though, my dad made sure that when we moved from Gilbert to Chapin she didn't know any of our new contact information. My parents also kept tabs on whether or not she was still in jail. That's the only reason she's not bothered us. I just hope that she doesn't come here tonight. I don't want her bothering your family." "Don't worry," he replies softly, "Even if she comes tonight, we'll deal with her." I smile at him and lean into his embrace. Kenmaru is most definitely the best husband in the world.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
As I sit there and comfort my mate, I notice that her dad's relatives are all looking at us with similar smiles on their faces. Kaiti also notices their somewhat pleased smiles and asks them why they are staring at us like that. "I'm sorry sweetheart," her Uncle Ricky says apologetically, "It's just that watching you two together remind me of a prophesy that an old priest told to your grandmother and Aunt Anita back when your dad was just a kid." "A prophesy," I ask curiously, "About what?" "About the two of you," he replies calmly, "Even though it's mostly about Kaiti. The old priest told my mom that one day her youngest son would be blessed with the birth of a beautiful little girl with hair like fire and eyes like the sky. The old man said that the baby girl would be born with great spiritual power and would have to be protected by a seal placed upon her powers until she became a strong woman. Before the seal could be broken though, she was to meet her soul mate and protector, a man born of both demonic and sacred blood. Together, the old priest said, they would face two great evils and defeat them. The first evil they would defeat together and the second she alone would defeat after suffering a great sorrow. Then, he told her, the girl would use her greatest power to revive the one she loved the most and would then become his forever. And as I see it, everything the old man said has come true." "Wow," my koishii murmurs in awe, "That's amazing." She looks up at me and gives me one of her most beautiful smiles. "Can you believe it koi," she asks me lovingly, "Everything that we went through was meant to happen just so that we could be here now." "Yeah, I can," I answer truthfully, "I've told you before mate, I knew that you were the girl for me the moment I first laid my eyes on you. We were meant to meet and fall in love." "And I wouldn't have it any other way," she says joyfully, "As I've said before, you're the best thing that has ever happened in my life." I smile at her and go to kiss her when suddenly, her cousin Robby coughs loudly and says, "Enough mushy stuff you two. I'm ready to eat. Your moms made us wait until the two of you got here." "As they should have," Marrissa growls at him and slaps him on the back of the head, "Now stop being a rude baka and messing with my sister and brother-in-law or else I'll pull out my hammer." Kaiti and I both wince at the mention of Marrissa's favorite weapon of choice. "Rissa," Kaiti says with a sigh, "Let's not destroy the house huh? Keep the hammer threats to a minimum please." "Alright," Rissa replies, "If you say so sis. Now let's go eat." Everyone nods in agreement and soon we all either have huge plates of food or are fixing huge plates of food. Before Kaiti and I can start eating however, I sense a new wolf hanyou nearby, and it's a female.

Kaiti notices my sudden alertness and a look of concern forms on her face. "Koishii," she asks, "Is there something wrong?" "We're about to have company," I reply as calmly as possible, "I think it might be that cousin you were telling us about earlier. Her smell is quite similar to Todd's, but her aura is different. It's more corrupt than anyone who's here right now." "Damn it," Todd curses, "I was hoping she'd just leave well enough alone. I can't believe she's done all of that crap and has now come here just because of some stupid grudge." "Grudge," I ask him curiously, "What grudge?" "She's jealous of Kaiti," he replies angrily, "Always has been. Ever since she learned that she had not inherited the family's spiritual powers like Mom had and was told of the prophecy, she's always been jealous. She's hated Kaiti since before she was ever born. She feels that Kaiti stole not only the family spiritual power from her, but also all of the attention." "Oh this is just great," Kaiti says angrily, "So you mean to tell me that she committed all of those crimes just because she hates me? This is just freaking perfect! She's going to pay for all of her crap." I can feel my koishii's anger surging and spilling out of her in waves as she stands to walk out of the house. I stand also and follow her. Just before she opens the door, I grab her hand and pull her to my side. "You don't have to do this alone koi," I tell her softly, "I know that you probably don't need me to, but let me protect you. You've not seen her in years and don't know what she's capable of." "Ok," she replies softly, "And don't worry, I'll always need you to protect me in some way koishii." I kiss her forehead tenderly before we step out of the house and onto the porch. A few minutes later, a small car pulls into the driveway and parks in the last available spot on my parents' lawn. The driver door opens and out steps a wolf hanyou female that stands about the same height as Kaiti. She has long dark hair and a slightly tanned complexion with dark eyes. Her mouth forms a smug sneer as she steps towards us. "Well well," she says smugly, "If it isn't the little goody two shoes priestess that I have to call cousin and what appears to be her guard dog. It's been a long time red." "Hello Amanda," Kaiti replies coldly, "It has been a long time. Now what are you doing here? I hope you didn't come just to insult me and my mate or else I'll have to ask you to leave."

(Kaiti's POV)  
I stand there and glare coldly at my older cousin as I wait for her answer. "I thought that my reason for coming here would be obvious," Amanda answers slyly, "I want what you took from me girl. My mother was the family priestess before you and as her daughter our family's spiritual powers are mine by birthright. But then that old priest came along and told Granny and Papa that you were going to be the one who was going to be born with my powers. He made up some garbage about you having a great destiny and cast a spell on our family so that he would be right. I mean there's no way that you of all people are capable of defeating two powerful evils. Knowing you dear cousin, you'd just run and hide in fear." I can hear Kenmaru's low growl in my ear and I place my hand on his shoulder in order to calm him. "So," I say quietly, "You think that all I've gone through this year was just some garbage eh? Tell me Amanda, have you ever stared Naraku straight in the face before? Have you ever had to battle hundreds of demons, only to find out that you're not done yet? Have you ever had to watch as someone that you love is taken away from you by evil or death? Have you ever had to face off against Kurayami alone while praying that you'll live to see the next day? Have you Amanda?" By now, I'm shouting at her, angry that she'd dare to brush off what I had gone through as garbage. As the last words leave my mouth, I stand there with one fist clenched as I try to calm my raging aura. Suddenly, I can feel a soothing presence enter my mind and ease my pain and anger. Looking up, I see the kind face of my koishii as he uses our bond to comfort me. I give him a small smile and send him my silent thanks before turning back to glare at my cousin, who watches us with a look of amusement on her face. "What amuses you Amanda," I ask coldly. "Nothing much really," she replies snidely, "I just can't believe that the old man was right about one thing. It seems that you did fall in love with someone born of demonic blood. I bet he was wrong about the sacred blood though." "The priest was right about everything bitch," Kenmaru growls at her, "You'd know that if you'd use your youkai abilities for a change." "And who are you to insult me dog," Amanda asks angrily, "Just because you're now family doesn't mean that you can talk to me that way."

Hearing her insult Kenmaru, I've finally had enough. "You're the one who has no right to insult anyone you greedy bitch," I tell her angrily, "After all that you've done to our family, I honestly don't see you as family anymore. Just because you're jealous of someone doesn't mean that you can do whatever you want to get back at them and their family. After all of this time, you still disgust me. What you did to Granny was unforgivable and yet you still want more. You're no family of mine Amanda, and you haven't been for a long time now." "Aww," Amanda sneers, "You still miss the old hag eh cousin? I'm surprised that you still remember her. That was a long time ago." "Granny died almost nine years ago," I scream at her, "She died on Thursday, October 9th, 2003, just four days after my tenth birthday Amanda! And did you know that the police had undercover cops at Granny's funeral just in case you showed your face? Because of what you did to her, they came and intruded upon her final resting place. How dare you insult her, after all that she did for you!" "I'm still surprised that you remember all of that," Amanda says in amusement, "After all, she didn't really do that much for me. Sure, she took me and Todd in and took care of us, but she never gave me the one thing that I wanted. She never let me near you after you were born. She wouldn't let me claim my birthright." "You would remember if you actually cared about her," I tell her coldly, "I might have been ten years old when she died, but she still meant a lot to me. I didn't care about birthrights or anything like that. I cared about my Granny. Besides, it's hard not to remember something that happened so close to your birthday. I still remember the day that my parents came home and told me that she was gone. I had been waiting for them to get home so that they could take me to my karate class and they were late. When they came in the door and told me that Granny was gone, I curled up in my mom's lap and cried for a good hour. Knowing you, I bet you didn't shed a single tear when you heard the news." I can feel hot, angry tears fall down my cheeks as I yell at her and remember the day that my Granny left this world for good. Once again, I can feel Kenmaru's comforting presence in my mind as he tries to soothe me. But this time, I'm too sad and angry to stay calm for long. "You're right," Amanda says, "I didn't shed a tear for her. She did nothing for me. And now because she did nothing, I have to take my birthright by force." As the words leave her lips, Amanda launches her attack. Growling at her, Kenmaru moves to protect me, but I stop him. "This is my fight koishii," I tell him quietly, "She has to pay for her actions at my hands." He just nods as I summon my staff to me and block her attack. "You're no match for me Amanda," I tell her coldly, "And tonight you're going to pay for all that you've done." She just growls at me and goes to attack again. I counter with an attack of my own and she vanishes in a cloud of ash before she can even reach me. Then I fall to my knees and begin to cry.

(Kenmaru's POV)  
I immediately go to Kaiti's side as she begins to break down. I pull her into my arms and hold her as she lets out all of her anger, pain, and sadness. "It's ok koishii," I whisper in her ear, "It's ok. Let it out." "I didn't want to kill her," she cries softly, "I . . . I just wanted her to leave us alone. I didn't mean to get so angry." "I know," I whisper, "You did what you had to do koi. She wasn't going to leave us alone until she killed you for your powers. She gave you no choice. Don't blame yourself koishii. It's not your fault." "But," she tries to say, but her cousin Todd comes up behind us and interrupts her. "Stop it Kaiti," he tells her calmly, "My sister made her own choices in life. She came here to either kill you or be killed. There was no other option for her. Don't blame yourself for this." Kaiti looks up at him and sees the sincerity in his eyes. She nods her head and goes to stand. I help her up and gently wipe the tears from her eyes. She smiles at me and reaches up to gently touch my cheek. I kiss her tenderly before wrapping an arm around her waist in order to lead her back inside the house. The rest of the night we do nothing but enjoy ourselves as we spend time with our family and friends. I know that Kaiti will never forget having to kill her cousin, but that doesn't mean that I'll let it get to her. She'll always need me to protect her, even if it is only from herself and her memories. I'm determined that from now on I'm going to do my best to make sure that her every day is as happy as possible. When we get home from the party, I gently lead her upstairs to our bedroom so that I can keep my silent promise to her. When we begin to make love, I do everything that I can to show her how much I love her and want her to be happy. Afterwards, she lays her head against my chest as I hold her against me. "I love you Kenmaru," she whispers before falling asleep. "I love you too Kaiti," I whisper in her ear before kissing her forehead and letting myself fall asleep.


	21. Nursing Homes and Jealous Snobs

Chapter 21: Nursing Homes and Jealous Snobs

(Kenmaru's POV)

I wake up just as the morning sunlight begins to stream through our bedroom window. Kaiti is still cuddled against me and sleeping peacefully, the morning sun highlighting the beautiful features of her face. I sigh quietly at the peaceful sight of her and close my eyes once again in order to wait for my koishii to wake. Just as soon as my eyes close, I hear Kaiti stir beside me and yawn softly. I open my eyes once again and turn to look into the face of my mate. Her baby blue eyes open slowly and a smile graces her lips. "Good morning," she murmurs. "Good morning koi," I reply happily, "Sleep well?" "Uh huh," she says with another yawn, "How about you? Have you been up long?" "I slept fine," I reply before kissing her forehead softly, "And I just woke up a moment ago." "That's good," she says cheerfully, "Well now that we're up, are you ready for some breakfast?" "I am if you are," I say, "What do you want this morning?" "Hmm. . . I don't know," she says softly, "How about you surprise me?" I just smile at her and kiss her tenderly before getting up and out of bed. I quickly slip into some clothes as Kaiti sits up and begins to rub the sleep from her eyes. I leave her to get dressed as I head downstairs to begin cooking our morning meal. When I reach the kitchen, I quickly open the refrigerator in order to grab some bacon and eggs along with some butter and milk. I place the butter, milk and eggs onto the kitchen counter and then quickly put the bacon into the oven to cook. Then I walk into the pantry and grab out the pancake mix. Soon, I have a spread of food that includes bacon, scrambled eggs, pancakes, and toast. When I hear Kaiti coming down the stairs, I've already fixed our plates and poured our coffee. "Wow," is all Kaiti says when she lays eyes on our breakfast, "You out did yourself Kenmaru." I flash her a wild grin as she sits down at the table to eat. "You told me to surprise you," I remind her with a laugh, "And I know that you're hungry. Go ahead and eat up." She smiles at me and does exactly that. I can't help but grin at her obvious enjoyment as her food gradually disappears.

After we finish our breakfast, I grab our dirty dishes and take them over to the sink. "So," I say calmly as I begin to wash the dishes, "What do you want to do today koi?" Kaiti smiles at me and comes over to join me by the sink. "Well," she says softly, "I was wondering if you would like to meet my grandparents today. We were so busy this past year that I never got to introduce you to them. They live in the nursing home behind the high school." As the words 'nursing home' leave her lips, I notice a slight sadness in her tone. "I'd like that," I reply softly, "But, I'm guessing that they haven't always lived in the nursing home have they?" "No, they haven't," she says sadly, "Before they moved to the nursing home, they lived with me and my family. That back downstairs guest bedroom was their room just two years ago. But then Papa's Alzheimer's got worse and Nanny got to where she couldn't get around well on her own. That's when they decided to move to Generations." The faint smell of salt reaches my nose just as I place the last dish into the drain board to dry. Turning, I wrap Kaiti into my arms as tears begin trailing down her cheeks. "You miss them don't you," I ask in a whisper. "Yes," she answers softly, "I never thought that they'd end up where they are now. Ever since I was a little girl, they've always been there for me. They used to drop me off and pick me up from school everyday and Nanny would bake the best cakes. They've lived in the nursing home for over a year now. Now Nanny is always weak and sickly and Papa can hardly remember my age, much less what he has for breakfast each morning. And I can't do anything about it." "You might not be able to do anything about it," I say soothingly, "But at least you can visit them and spend some time with them while you still can. It might not help their illnesses, but it will help their hearts. You can still give them that." Kaiti looks up at me and smiles softly. "You're right koi," she says softly, "And at least I'll be able to introduce you to them. That's better than nothing." I smile at her and gently wipe the tears from her cheeks. "I can't wait to meet them," I reply cheerfully, "And someday I hope to take you with me to visit my grandma over in Japan. She and Uncle Souta will absolutely adore you." "I'd like that," Kaiti says with a smile and kisses me tenderly, "And I'm sure that my grandparents will love you. I must warn you though, they can be quite nosey." "I think I can handle it," I reply confidently, "Let me just go and grab my cloaking charm and we can be on our way." "Alright," she says, "I'll wait by the car." I kiss her one more time before reluctantly releasing her from my arms and heading upstairs to grab my necklace. As I feel my hanyou features disappear, I make my way back down the stairs and out the door. I take the keys that Kaiti offers me and soon we're on our way.

(Kaiti's POV)

As Kenmaru and I drive down the familiar urban roads towards Generations Nursing Home, I can't help but wonder if we should tell my grandparents about Kenmaru's unique heritage. My grandparents have always been very bias and stubborn. I remember once when my grandfather told me that I shouldn't be friends with Marrissa anymore because she was dating a black guy. And no matter how many times I told him that Darnell is a complete gentleman and an all around great guy, he never believed me. It doesn't take Kenmaru long to sense my worries. "What's wrong koishii," he asks worriedly, "What's bothering you?" I sigh and close my eyes for a moment before looking over at him and saying, "I'm not sure if we should tell my grandparents about you being a hanyou. Ever since I can remember, they've both always been very bias and quite stubborn. Once, Papa told me that I shouldn't be friends with Marrissa just because he didn't like her dating a black boy. He never once listened to me when I would try to tell him that Darnell is a really nice guy. Nanny also disapproved. I'm just not sure how they'd take it if we told them." "Well we don't have to tell them if you don't want to koi," he replies calmly, "It's your decision. You might be surprised though. I have a feeling that your grandparents aren't as clueless about youkai as you think. I mean, you do have many youkai and hanyou relatives. They have to know something about our existence." "You might be right," I say softly, "And I don't like keeping secrets from them anyway. I want to tell them." "Then we will," he replies, "And no matter what reaction we get, we'll be able to handle it. We've been through too much not to be able to handle it." "Yeah, you're right," I say with a sigh and smile at him. "Thank you Kenmaru," I say softly, "You always know just what to say." He just smiles at me as we drive into the Generations parking lot.

When we walk through the front doors of the nursing home, the first person I see is Mrs. Tina. She is the caregiver in charge of the hallway where my grandparents room is located and is also the mom of my long time friend Alina. As soon as she sees me, she comes up and gives me a warm hug. "It's been a while since I last saw you sweetie," Mrs. Tina says warmly, "How've you been?" "I've been great," I reply, "How about you?" "Oh I've been doing good," she says cheerfully, "Even though I can't believe that you, Alina, and Hunter are all going to be leaving for college soon. The next thing I know, you're all going to be married and I'll be a grandmother and great aunt." I can't help but laugh softly before I say, "Well I guess now is a good time as any to tell you that I'm already married. The wedding was almost two weeks ago. I sent y'all an invitation, but I guess it got lost in the mail or something." "It must have," Mrs. Tina replies, "Because we would have been there had we known. Now who is the lucky man huh?" "That would be me," Kenmaru replies for me as he steps up and wraps an arm around my waist, "I'm Kenmaru. It's nice to meet you." "It's nice to meet you too young man," Mrs. Tina says warmly. Turning back to me, she asks, "Are you here to see your grandparents?" "Yeah," I reply and smile softly, "How are they today?" "Oh they're doing just fine," Mrs. Tina assures me, "And they'll be glad that you came. Just call me if they need anything and I'll be there ASAP." I thank her before I lead Kenmaru down the hallway towards my grandparents' room. Finally, we stand in front of their door and I take a deep breath to settle myself. I turn to face Kenmaru and I can't help but frown slightly at the mysterious grin gracing his lips. "Ok koishii, spill," I tell him quietly, "What's with the grin? You know something don't you?" "Well," he says slowly, "I was right about your grandparents knowing about youkai. Apparently your grandmother is a miko and right now she's trying to keep me out of the room with a barrier. It seems that your dad's family is the only one with spiritual powers." "Oh geez," I mutter and then knock on the door. "Nanny, Papa," I call out, "It's Kaiti. Can I come in? I want you to meet someone."

A few moments later, I hear my grandmother say, "Alright, come on in baby." I sigh and shoot Kenmaru a warning look before opening the door. 'Behave,' I tell him silently. He just grins at me and a sly, 'Don't worry, I will,' floats through my mind. As soon as I open the door, I can't help but sigh at the sight before me. "Nanny," I call out in annoyance, "I would appreciate it if you took down the barrier instead of me having to break it. I'm not going to hurt you and neither will Kenmaru." I hear the shuffling of feet and the next thing I know, my grandmother stands in front of me behind the barrier. "Oh," she says suspiciously, "And what makes you think that the hanyou won't attack?" I sigh and hold up my left hand. "He won't," I tell her calmly, "Because he's my husband and mate. My last name isn't Shealy anymore Nanny. It's Taisho now." "Well I be damned," my grandmother says with a sigh. Suddenly, the barrier before me vanishes into thin air as my grandmother steps back and says, "Well come on in you two. I have a feeling that you two have quite a story to tell." "You have no idea," I say with a sigh as Kenmaru and I follow her into the room that she and my grandfather share. "Hey baby girl," Papa says cheerfully, "Who's this young man here?" "Hey Pop," I reply warmly and hug him, "This is Kenmaru. He's my husband." "Do what," my grandfather asks in shock, "When did this happen?" "About two weeks ago Papa," I reply calmly, "We had the ceremony at the house. Pastor Brett performed the service." "Oh well that's fine," my grandfather says in relief, "But tell me dear, why was your grandmother going on about a demon? She hasn't fussed about one being near since the day you were born. But then just a moment ago, she threw up a barrier as quick as you'll ever see." "Show him," I tell Kenmaru with a sigh, "Let's just get this part over with."

(Kenmaru's POV)

I don't hesitate to take off my concealment charm. Not only do I hate having to wear it all the time, but I also know that Kaiti hates that I have to wear it. "What in the hell," her grandfather cries when he sees my demonic features, "You're the demon! Honey, get in here!" "Andy hush," Kaiti's grandmother says in annoyance, "I know that he's the demon for crying out loud. But he also happens to be our grandson-in-law." "Also technically I'm only half-demon," I add in calmly, "A second generation hanyou to be exact." "I can tell," Kaiti's grandmother says with a sigh, "You have the Taisho family hair and eyes. I'm guessing that you're the son of Inuyasha and Kagome, are you not?" "Yeah," I reply, "They're my parents. I'm their youngest out of ten. I have a total of five brothers and four sisters that are all older than me." "Which means that I still have six more of your siblings to meet," Kaiti says with a sigh, "And I'm guessing that they're all mated and at least one of them already has children." "Yep," I reply, "The twins aren't our only nieces. My sister Kita has a little boy and girl. Then my brother Taki has two little boys. And then my sister Karin has a baby girl. My family is huge." "It's not getting any bigger is it," Kaiti's grandfather asks suspiciously, "You're not pregnant are you Kaiti?" "What," my koishii asks in surprise, "No, I'm not pregnant. I'm on birth control remember? I've been taking it ever since my doctor prescribed it to me for my acne problems. And we didn't form the mate bond until our wedding night. You can ask any of my in-laws or my friends. We waited until after the wedding to do anything like that." "Good," her grandfather says in relief, "Even though that doesn't explain why you got married so young." Before Kaiti can answer, I grasp her hand in mine and squeeze it comfortingly. I can sense my mate's building stress and anxiety. After her small breakdown this morning, I know that Kaiti doesn't need anymore stress today. "We simply couldn't wait," I answer her grandfather truthfully, "We've been through so much together that we simply didn't want to waist any time. There were three separate times this year alone that we almost lost each other and each time just confirmed that we can't live without each other."

Kaiti's grandparents stare at us for a few moments before her grandmother finally speaks. "I was right then," she says finally, "You two do have quite the story to tell." Kaiti and I both nod and then look at each other. Silently, we both agree that this time we'll tell our story together. Then Kaiti turns to her grandparents and starts from the beginning. "Kenmaru and I met on the very first day of school last year," she says softly, "It's a day that I'll never forget. Before then, I'd never could have imagined falling for someone so quickly. But then exactly one year later on the first day of this school year, I was attacked by a bear youkai in Crooked Creek Park and Kenmaru came to my rescue. That was the day I first learned about demons actually existing outside of fairytales and the day that I received my first kiss." I can't help but grin at the memory of our very first kiss before continuing the story. Together, Kaiti and I tell her grandparents about everything we went through together this past year. A few tears form in Kaiti's eyes when we tell them about what happened during Christmas break and then again when we tell them about the final battle with Kurayami. At the end of our story, Kaiti leans her head against my chest and sighs wearily. Her grandparents are quite for a few moments as they take in everything that we had just told them. "I can't believe it," her grandmother says finally, "That old priest was right after all. And it seems that we weren't the only ones that he told about Kaiti's birth and destiny. Everything that he told us would happen has come true." "No wonder you weren't surprised when you opened the door and saw me with Kenmaru," Kaiti says softly, "The old priest told both you and Granny Shealy about what would happen to me. I just wonder how he knew to come to both of you in the first place." "We'll probably never know koi," I tell her calmly, "But that doesn't change anything at all. Even if he hadn't told your grandparents about your future, we would still be here today. It was meant to be." "And I wouldn't have it any other way," she replies and then gives me a soft smile. Then suddenly, I hear the faint rumble and growl of Kaiti's stomach as it voices its hunger. When it growls again quite louder a few moments later, I can't help but grin. "Well we better be going," I say teasingly, "Or else your stomach won't forgive you for neglecting it." Kaiti looks over at the clock and sighs when she sees that it's well past lunch time. "Yeah you're right," she says and laughs softly, "You know, I don't know what I'd do sometimes if it weren't for you taking care of me. You've saved me from my stomach more times than I can count." I flash her a teasing grin as we finally get off of her grandparents' couch and say goodbye. I'm not at all surprised when they also rise to leave the room. It's lunch time for them as well. "Now y'all come and visit us again soon," Kaiti's grandmother tells us as we go to head out of the nursing home, "It was nice meeting you Kenmaru." "Same here ma'am," I reply as I wrap my arm around Kaiti's waist and walk out the door. Together, Kaiti and I begin to walk towards our car when I hear a slightly familiar voice call out our names.

(Kaiti's POV)

When I hear the familiar voice behind me, I can't help but clench my fist in anger. I would recognize that voice anywhere. For as long as I can remember, me and little miss snob Caitlin Perkins have been arch rivals. I still don't know why she hates my guts, but it is a known fact that she does. I force myself to put a smile on my face before I turn around with Kenmaru to face the bratty witch that stands behind me. "Hi Caitlin," I say as calmly as possible, "What are you doing here?" "Oh nothing," she replies a little too innocently, "I just wanted to come visit my grandma. But then I saw you two and I wanted to see how you've been doing." It doesn't take any type of demonic senses in order for me to hear her practically lying through her teeth. I've know her for too long to fall for her tricks. "Well I've been great," I say with some fake cheer, "As a matter of fact, we just were visiting with my grandparents." "Oh that's nice," Caitlin says with fake sweetness, "Well anyway, I wanted to ask you a question?" "Oh," I ask a bit surprised, "What do you want to ask me?" "Well," she says slowly, "A few weeks ago I was reading the newspaper when I saw a certain wedding announcement. I was just wondering if it was true." I can already tell that she has some evil intent behind her faked innocence, but I can't help but smile at her question. Like many other girls in our grade, Caitlin had eyed Kenmaru hungrily ever since he moved to Chapin. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she learns that he's taken for good. "Yeah," I reply happily, "Kenmaru and I got married two weeks ago. We just got back from our honeymoon trip yesterday." "Oh that's nice," Caitlin says a little too sweetly, "So, have you two come up with any names yet?"

I freeze at her seemingly innocent question. I should have know that she would try this type of bullshit. "Names," I ask a bit angrily, "What are you talking about?" "Oh, I'm sorry," Caitlin says suddenly cruel, "But I thought that the only reason you two were getting married was because you got pregnant. I mean, why else would a guy like Kenmaru marry someone like you? You're just a little nobody. You always have been." "Why you little bitch," I growl angrily and try to lunge at her. Kenmaru's strong arms stop me though. 'Koishii,' his voice whispers in my mind, 'Calm down. We don't want to make a scene. Don't worry. I'll handle this.' I continue to glare at Caitlin as she prances closer to Kenmaru's side. She places a hand on his shoulder and says, "Thanks Kenmaru. If it wasn't for you, she would have hit me." Forcibly, Kenmaru removes her hand from his shoulder and pushes her back slightly. "What in the hell," Caitlin shrieks, "Why did you do that." "Well for one thing," Kenmaru says coldly, "I don't want you to touch me. And also, I don't like it when someone thinks that they can insult my wife and get away with it. If it wasn't for this being a public place, I would have let Kaiti hit you. You deserve it for your dirty mouth." "You're actually defending her," Caitlin asks in shock, "Why? I mean, I'm right aren't I? You only married her because she's pregnant, right?" "I'm not pregnant you bitch," I growl at her, "Now stop saying that before I really wail on you." "If you're not pregnant," she replies angrily, "Then how in the hell did you get him to marry you?" I go to reply, but Kenmaru beats me to it. "I'll tell you why I married Kaiti," he growls at her angrily, "I married her because I love her and want to spend the rest of my life with her. Ever since the day we met, I knew that Kaiti was the girl for me. And if you can't respect that, then you need to leave before I let my wife loose so that she can give you the beating that you deserve." Realizing that she's lost this fight, Caitlin glares at both of us one last time before stalking away to her car and driving off.

When she's gone, Kenmaru loosens his hold on me just long enough for me to turn around and bury my face into his chest. "Damn it," I whisper softly, "I knew that something like this was going to happen. Ever since we met, I've been on the receiving end of jealous glares and cruel snarls. Why can't they just leave well enough alone?" Kenmaru's strong arms hold me gently as he sighs and says, "They're just jealous koi. Don't let them get to you. I'll never leave you. You know that." "Yeah, I know," I reply with a sigh, "But still, I don't want to have to continuously threaten spoiled brats just because they can't take rejection." Kenmaru laughs softly and flashes me a huge smile before saying, "Oh don't worry koi, you won't have to. I plan to spread the word around to as many of our former classmates as possible. I'll let them know that they need to leave us alone. And they'll listen too because many of our classmates were youkai or hanyou. You won't have to worry about anymore girls messing with us." I smile and shake my head. "You're always one step ahead koi," I say with a soft laugh, "I don't know what I'd do without you." "Well you won't have to worry about that either," he replies happily, "You're stuck with me forever. Now, let's hurry up and get out of here. I know that you're still hungry. Your stomach is telling my ears to hurry." Right on cue, my stomach gives a loud rumble. I laugh happily as Kenmaru and I walk over to our car and climb in. Soon, we're on the road again in search of a decent meal.

(Kenmaru's POV)

As we drive back towards the main center of Chapin, I notice that even though Caitlin is now long gone, Kaiti is still deeply worried about something like this happening again. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see her staring blankly out of the window as she dives deep into her thoughts. The sweet smile from earlier is gone from her lips now, and I want to see it again more than anything else right now. Hearing her stomach growl once again, I know exactly how to bring that smile back. I immediately drive straight to one of her favorite places in town. When I park in front of La Fogatas, I look over at Kaiti and grin when I see the wide smile grace her lips. "I guess you don't mind eating here huh," I ask teasingly, "Or else that smile wouldn't be so beautiful." She just smiles at me even brighter and says, "I swear you must have read my mind or something. This is just what I had in mind." I flash her a grin before saying, "Nah, I didn't read your mind koishii. I just know that Mexican is usually your comfort food. You want to go inside?" She flashes me another grin, which I take as a yes. Together we exit our car and walk the short distance to the door. When we enter the restaurant, a youkai waiter sees us and automatically grins. "Hola amiga," he greets Kaiti warmly, "Table for two?" "Yes Orlando," Kaiti replies, "It's been a long time since I was last here." "Yes, it has," Orlando says, "How's your mom and them doing?" "They're just fine," Kaiti tells him with a sigh, "Drew is still traveling all over the place for baseball and Mom and Dad just go with it. Even though they've taken to going to El Poblano's instead of here. It's closer to the house." "I can understand that," Orlando replies and smiles, "Now who is this young man with you eh?" "This is Kenmaru," Kaiti says knowingly, "And I know that you can already tell who he is to me. I have gotten a lot better at sensing who has youkai blood or not."

Kaiti says this quietly, and Orlando just grins at her. "You've caught me amiga," he says with a laugh, "I am indeed youkai. Lizard youkai to be exact. And yes, I can tell that this inu hanyou is your mate. My, what a skilled miko you have become." "Thanks," Kaiti replies happily, "Even though if it wasn't for my mother-in-law, I wouldn't be near as skilled as I am." "Keh," I mutter, "Give yourself some credit won't you, koishii? You did most of the work. Mom just led you in the right direction." She gives me one of her brightest smiles, which causes me to grin in return. Orlando just smiles and shakes his head before taking our drink orders and heading off to get what we asked for. After a nice lunch, Kaiti is back to her usual self. As I go to pay our bill, she decides to go out and wait for me by the car. I don't mind in the least. I know that she won't be far away and even from inside the crowded restaurant I'll be able to hear her. I turn to walk out the door just in time to see my dear mate fall to the ground in a faint. "Shit," I curse softly and quickly race outside. Just as I'm about to reach her, a powerful stench fills my nose, making me weak. I try to continue towards Kaiti, but the smell gets stronger, causing me to collapse. Before I fall unconscious, I can only watch as two rat youkai swoop down into the parking lot and pick up my koishii's limp form. "No," I whisper softly, "Kaiti." They both sneer at me just as my world goes black.

(Kaiti's POV)

I wake up in a dark room and find myself lying on a dirty old bed. The last thing that I can remember is walking out of La Fogatas to wait for Kenmaru by the car. Then, there was an overwhelming smell just as my world faded away from me. "Where am I," I whisper softly, "Where's Kenmaru?" "Your mate isn't here wench," a gruff voice growls from the darkness. I look around and finally I see a door that is guarded by two rat youkai who I have never met before. "Who are you," I demand angrily, "Where am I? And where is my husband?" "Shut up wench," one of the two youkai growls, "Or else we'll make you shut up. Just because our mistress wants you alive doesn't mean that we can't break your pretty little face." "What do you want with me," I demand viciously, "Why am I here?" "We told you to shut up," the other rat growls and crosses the room. The next thing I know, a powerful hand slaps the slide of my face. The blow knocks me back onto the bed with a thump. I can't help but gasp in pain and cradle my now sore cheek with one hand. "You'll pay for that," I tell them coldly. I try to summon my spiritual staff, but I find that something is blocking my powers. "Your powers won't work here miko," one of the rats says with a smirk, "Our mistress set up a spell in this room that won't allow for anyone to use spiritual power." "You'll still pay for that," I growl venomously, "When Kenmaru gets here, you're going to regret ever touching me." "You say that now wench," says the one that hit me, "But soon, you won't remember a thing." "What are you . . .," I try to ask, but they both grab me quickly. I scream as one reaches into his pocket and pulls out a vial full of some strange liquid. "Now drink up wench," he growls demandingly, "Or else we won't play nice." 'Kenmaru,' I think sadly as I try to keep my mouth clamped shut, 'Please koishii, help me.' Finally, the other youkai forces my mouth open and the one with the vial pours the potion down my throat. I immediately feel tired and dizzy as they let go of me and I fall back onto the bed once more. I begin to feel something precious slipping away from me, even though I don't know what it is. Then, I once again pass out into a world of darkness.


	22. Love With No Memories

Chapter 22: Love With No Memories

* Disclaimer: This is just fan fiction. I don't own Inuyasha.

(Kenmaru's POV)

When I finally come to after fainting in the parking lot, I find myself back inside of the restaurant. Orlando, the waiter that had served us, rushes immediately to my side. "You are finally awake amigo," he says in relief, "The herbs that the rat youkai used were very strong. We had to wait for them to clear before retrieving you from the parking lot." "Damn it," I groan, "They got away didn't they?" After hesitating a moment, Orlando nods his head sadly. "Si," he replies softly, "And I'm afraid that they have taken your mate hostage." "Damn them to hell," I growl angrily and jump to my feet, "When I find them, they're going to wish that they never even laid eyes on me and my mate." "Her scent is still strong my friend," Orlando tells me quickly, "As well as the scent of her two captors. They headed down Amicks Ferry Rd. towards the lake. You must hurry." "Thanks," I reply briefly before running out to the door to my car. Orlando was right, Kaiti's scent was still strong. It made an easy trail to follow. Without hesitation, I crank up the car and speed out of the parking lot. I count myself very lucky that the bastards were stupid enough to leave a scent trail. Just by keeping my window cracked slightly, I'm able to follow the trail straight to them and my mate. I can only hope that they haven't harmed her yet. From our link, all that I can tell is that she is unconscious. I do not sense any trace of pain what so ever. That at least might cause me to show some mercy to the bastards that dared to take my koishii away from me.

It takes fifteen minutes total for me to reach the house where the rat youkai are keeping Kaiti hostage. I can sense their tension in their auras, which tells me that they know that I have arrived. I let out a low growl that I know they hear loud and clear. My angry growl lets them know one thing, I will kill them if Kaiti is harmed in any way, shape, or form. I burst into the house and quickly dispose of the first youkai that attacks me. I find the second one guarding the door to the room where Kaiti lies. He lunges to attack me, and is immediately taken care of by one swing of my sword. I can smell a third youkai that has been in the house, but the scent is hours old. I growl angrily at the fact that one of the disgusting creatures has evaded me for now. I stop growling however as soon as I open the door to the room where I can sense Kaiti's presence. I find her laying on a dirty bed, seemingly unharmed and fast asleep. I sigh in relief when I smell no blood or any other scent that hints at an injury. I can feel my blood boil slightly at the sight of a bruise on her cheek, but I ignore my anger as I gather her into my arms and carry her out of the disgusting house. As soon as I make sure that she's in the car and safe, I immediately head straight home. I had called my parents and Rissa while heading towards saving Kaiti, so I'm not surprised when I see their cars in our driveway. I am further unsurprised at the sight of a car that I know as Kaiti's dad's. I had asked for my parents to contact Kaiti's for me. As soon as I pull into the driveway, my mom, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law all rush out of our house. I quickly reassure them that Kaiti isn't severely hurt and is just sleeping. They all sigh in relief and follow me as I carry Kaiti into the house and up the stairs to our bedroom. I lay her down gently onto our bed and kiss her forehead lovingly before going out into the hallway to tell our family what happened earlier. Just as soon as I finish telling them the story, I hear Kaiti scream.

I race into the bedroom when I hear my mate's terrified scream. Marrissa, my mom, and Kaiti's mom all follow me as I race to her side. "Kaiti," I ask worriedly, "What's wrong koi? Why are you screaming?" She stops screaming and just looks at me as if she doesn't recognize me at all. "Where am I," she asks shakily, "And who are you? Why am I not at home?" I stand there stunned. "Kaiti," I whisper softly, "You don't remember me koi? It's me, Kenmaru." "Kenmaru," Kaiti asks deeply confused, "I have no clue who you are. I've never seen you before in my life. And why are you calling me koi?" I'm too stunned to answer. I look over at my family to find them all equally surprised. Kaiti's eyes follow my gaze and happiness fills them when she sees her mother and Marrissa. "Mom," she says happily, "Sis! You're here. Can you tell me where I am and who this guy is?" Kaiti's mom is speechless for a moment. "Sweetie," she says a bit shakily, "Do you not remember Kenmaru at all?" "No," Kaiti says slightly scared, "Am I supposed to?" "Yeah sis," Rissa says as calmly as possible and sits down on the bed beside Kaiti, "Look at your left hand Kaiti. You'll see why you're supposed to remember Kenmaru." Hesitantly, my koishii lifts her left hand and looks at it. At the sight of her wedding ring, she gasps and tears begin pouring down her face. She looks over at me and grabs my left hand. When she sees my wedding ring, the tears come faster. "Why," she asks as she sobs, "Why can't I remember you? The last thing I remember is setting my alarm clock for school. Isn't today the first day of junior year?" All of us are momentarily speechless as Kaiti begins to shake uncontrollably. "Kaiti," Marrissa says finally, "We graduated from school over a month ago. You and Kenmaru dated all of this year and he proposed the day after graduation after you defeated Kurayami. The wedding was two weeks ago sis. You don't remember any of that?"

(Kaiti's POV)

I stare at my mom and the sister of my heart like they're crazy. "No," I reply slightly scared, "I don't remember any of that. Who was Kurayami?" "She was an evil youkai," the guy beside me says slowly, "She resurrected Naraku and sent him after you. Then when we sent him back to Hell where he belongs, she came after you herself." My mom and Marrissa said that his name is Kenmaru. Apparently, he's my husband and he's crazy. "What in the hell are you talking about," I ask immediately, "Demons don't exist. Naraku is just a character in an anime. The story isn't true. Are you crazy or something?" The look he gives me is a look of deep shock and sorrow. "So you really don't remember," he says with a sad sigh, "And it's all my fault." Suddenly, Marrissa races over and slaps Kenmaru on the back of the head. "You're such a baka dog boy," she hisses at him angrily, "Don't you dare blame yourself. It's near impossible for a youkai, much less a hanyou, to fight off powerful smelling herbs. You did all you could to make sure that Kaiti was safe. Don't you dare blame yourself or else my dear brother-in-law, I'll ask your mother to help Kaiti make you a set of subjugation beads just like your dad's. I might not be able to use them, but Kaiti sure will when she's back to her normal self. But I do plan to help her come up with the trigger word. And knowing me and my sister, we can come up with a worse word than 'sit'." I see Kenmaru wince visibly and I can't help but stare at my sister. "What in the hell are you saying sis," I ask in confusion, "Did you really just call him an idiot and half-demon in Japanese?" Marrissa looks over at me and sighs sadly. "We have to show her," she tells Kenmaru quietly, "Who knows, maybe it'll jog her memory?" I watch in confusion and wonder as they both remove their necklaces from around their necks. I almost scream again when suddenly they both turn into demons. Kenmaru looks just like my favorite anime hero, Inuyasha, except that he has jet black streaks in his hair and black ears. Marrissa looks like the cat version of a hanyou. "What's going on here," I ask shakily, "What the hell is happening to me?"

Kenmaru and Marrissa both look at me sadly. "It didn't work damn it," I hear Kenmaru growl angrily, "Now what are we going to do?" "Let me try son," a woman's voice says from near the door. I look over and gasp as I take in the sight of one of my favorite heroines of all time. "No way," I whisper in awe, "You're . . ." "Yes my dear," Kagome says calmly, "I'm the same Kagome that you know from the anime. I'm also your mother-in-law. The anime story is quite real sweetie. Demons and half-demons do exist. I should know. My husband and all of my children are hanyou, except for Shippo of course. And you my dear are a very powerful miko, as well as the mate of my youngest son. You've done great things my dear." I can feel more tears come to my eyes as her words hit home. There's no denying that she is telling the truth. "Why," I ask sadly, "Why can't I remember any of it? Why can't I remember almost two years of my life?" "We don't know yet dear," Kagome tells me calmly, "But we're going to find out and do our best to help you remember." I nod silently and try to wipe the tears from my eyes. I look over at Marrissa, Kenmaru, and my mom. They all look at me sadly, and I can't help but feel sad as well. "I'm sorry," I whisper softly, "I'm so sorry that I can't remember any of this." "It's not your fault sis," Rissa tells me sternly, "Don't you dare blame yourself. You can't blame yourself for the actions of some bastard youkai that were trying to get a hold of you. Just like Kenmaru can't blame himself because of the fact that his nose couldn't handle to strong herbs that those youkai used to knock him out. The blame rests on them and them alone." "Still," I say sadly, "I can't believe that I can't remember. I mean, how can I not remember my own wedding?"

(Kenmaru's POV)

Kaiti's question sparks an idea in my head. "Mom," I ask quickly, "Do you think that maybe watching the wedding video might help? I mean, she'll actually see and hear herself in the video. Do you think it might work?" "Maybe," my mom says softly, "It's worth a try. Hurry and get it. I'm sure that both your father and Kevin already know what's going on. No doubt your father heard every word." "Damn right I did," my dad growls as he enters the room, "I heard every single damn word. This whole situation smells of witch. And I think I know just the youkai witch that did this too." Of course, my dad's concealing charm has been removed from his neck, which causes Kaiti to gasp in surprise. He and I both glance at Kaiti quickly before we lock eyes. "Who Dad," I ask him as calmly as possible, "Who do you think did this to Kaiti?" "Her name is Akumu," he answers seriously, "She once tried to poison your mom with some nasty smelling green potion after we stopped her from attacking teenage girls that lived in a village near her cave. All of the girls had lost some of their memories, but they were regained after your mom gave them an antidote." "I remember that antidote," my mom says quickly, "I just need some ingredients from home." "Then let's go," my dad replies just as quickly. Soon, they're out to the door and driving back towards home and Mom's herb garden.

As soon as my parents leave, I ask Marrissa to sit with Kaiti while I run downstairs to grab the DVD that contains our wedding video. Kaiti's parents also join her and Marrissa on the bed while I'm downstairs. I quickly grab the DVD and race back upstairs, eager to try to jog my mate's memory. Kaiti watches me as I set up the TV in our bedroom for the movie. Without knowing it, Kaiti is broadcasting her every thought to me as she ponders the situation. 'Why can't I remember him,' I hear her ask herself, 'I feel like I should know him, but I just don't. He seems so familiar, yet I just can't remember why. And when I touched his hand earlier, my whole body felt warm and safe. And when I looked into his eyes, I could see that he loves me. Damn it! I'm so confused!' I sigh quietly as Kaiti continues to struggle with her memories. Soon, the DVD is ready and I press play on the remote. I go back and sit on the bed beside Kaiti as the images begin to play on the screen. I can hear her gasp when she sees herself and her dad walk down the aisle towards the alter and me. I look over at her as she watches the screen. I can just see her brain working as she takes it all in. Just as we're about to say "I do" in the video, Kaiti looks over at me and I can see the tears in her eyes. I can also see recognition. "Kenmaru," she says in a whisper, and suddenly her arms are around my neck as she cries. "I remember now," she sobs into my chest, "Kenmaru, I'm so sorry. I can't believe I actually forgot. I'm so sorry koishii. Maybe if I had fought harder, those rats wouldn't have been able to pry my mouth open and pour that potion down my throat." "Shh koi," I whisper softly into her ear, "It's ok, it's not your fault. You remember now, and that's all that matters." I tenderly kiss her forehead and then she pulls back slightly to look up at me. "Thank you kois. . ." Kaiti starts to whisper, but then cries out and clutches her head. Through our bond, I can feel the sudden intense pain sweep through her. "Kenmaru," she gasps, "My memories, they're slipping away. It hurts." I can only hold her and watch along with her family as tears pour down her cheeks and she cries out in pain.

(Kaiti's POV)

Never in my life have I experienced pain like was just racing through my head. I could feel as something precious was painfully ripped away, and yet I can't remember what that precious thing was. As soon as the pain goes away, I realize that I'm in someone's arms. I look up into the concerned face of a man that I've never seen before in my entire life. "What the hell," I cry out and pull out of his embrace, "Who in the heck are you? Where am I?" A sad look enters his eyes as he sighs and moves away from me. I can't help but feel that he is familiar to me, but I don't know why. "Sis," I hear Marrissa say worriedly from behind me, "You don't remember Kenmaru at all?" I turn my head to look over at her, and I feel like my eyes are about to jump out of my skull at the sight. "Sis," I gasp out, "Why in the hell do you look like a female cat version of my favorite anime character? And why does that guy over there look exactly like Inuyasha, but with black streaks in his hair and black ears?" Rissa sighs quietly and scoots closer to me. "Sis," she says quietly, "I'm a hanyou. Demons do exist. The anime story is real. Inuyasha and Kagome are real, and so was Naraku. You might not remember it right now, but you're a miko sis. You're the reincarnation of Midoriko herself and you're married and mated to Inuyasha and Kagome's youngest son, Kenmaru. But something happened today and you lost your memories of the last two years." "What," I ask her with deep confusion, "How did all of that happen? Why don't I remember meeting him or any of this?" "Two bastard youkai captured you today," the man called Kenmaru says with a hint of anger in his voice, "We went to lunch at La Fogatas and you went outside to wait by the car while I was paying our bill. The next thing that I know, you had fainted and I was running outside to see what was going on. That's when I learned that the youkai were using strongly scented herbs that can make even a human pass out. I wasn't able to reach you in time because of the smell overpowering me. When I woke up, the waiters had brought me back into the restaurant and they were telling me about you being taken. I left immediately to come and find you. I got to you as fast as I could and when I finally defeated the rat youkai that were guarding the house, I found you asleep on a dirty bed. Luckily, I realized that they didn't do anything to you except for hit you on the cheek. I brought you straight back home and when you woke up, you didn't remember a thing from the past two years. Then, my parents figured out why you lost your memories and raced home to fix an antidote. Before they left, I had an idea about showing you our wedding video, and my mom agreed that it could help. It did and for a moment you remembered me. But then your head started to hurt and you lost your memories again."

I stare at him for a moment and then look over towards my parents, who both nod their heads in order to tell me that what he says is true. "Why," I ask quietly, "Why can't I remember you?" "A youkai witch with a grudge against my parents gave the rat youkai a potion that made you forget," Kenmaru says softly, not daring to look at me. I look over at Marrissa, and she too nods her head, telling me that he's telling the truth once again. I then look over to the TV screen, where a movie is playing. I gasp when I see myself and Kenmaru as the bride and groom, we're kissing and dancing together. Tears begin to fall from my eyes as I realize that I really did not remember a thing from my wedding day. "Damn that witch," I whisper angrily, "Damn her, whoever she is. She made me forget my husband and my wedding day. She's going to pay if she ever comes after me again." Through my tears, I see Kenmaru giving me a sad smile. It's almost as if he's saying, "She might not remember me, but I still love her. She's still the same Kaiti." The sight of his smile cheers me slightly, and I begin to wipe the tears from my eyes. Then, I look over at him and give him a sad smile of my own. "Thank you Kenmaru," I whisper softly, "Thank you for watching out for me, even though I don't remember you. I know it must be hard on you that I can't remember you, and I'm sorry that you're having to go through this." I bow my head then, not wanting to look into the sadness of his eyes. I don't know why, but it hurts me to see him so sad. Then, I feel his hand underneath my chin as he pulls my face up to look at him. "Don't be sorry," he says softly, "It's not your fault. Besides, you'll have you memories back soon. Knowing my mom, she'll be here any minute now." I smile at him again and blush slightly. Then, his cute puppy ears suddenly twitch towards the direction of the bedroom door. "Do you hear something," I ask hesitantly. He smiles at me and nods. "Yeah," he says with a soft smile, "My parents are back. You'll have your memories back very soon."

(Kenmaru's POV)

When I hear the familiar sound of my parents footsteps as they enter the house, I immediately go to the door to our bedroom and wait for them to come upstairs. Of course, my dad immediately pulls my mom onto his back as soon as they enter the front door and he practically flies up the stairs with her. "How is she," my mom asks worriedly, "Did the video work," "Yeah," I reply sadly, "But only for a moment. Then the potion in her system started to take her memories away again. We had to explain to her again about who I was and what happened." "I'm sorry sweetie," Mom replies with a sad smile, "But soon, she'll be back to her usual self." She holds up a water bottle full of a light green looking liquid and smiles reassuringly. She then walks into the bedroom with me and my dad following right behind her. Kaiti looks over at us, and I can see the sparkle of wonder in her eyes. I can also hear her soft gasp and her whisper of , "Wow," when she sees my parents. My mom smiles at her and immediately goes to sit by Kaiti on the bed. "Hi sweetie," my mom says softly, "Do you know who I am?" "I think so," Kaiti replies hesitantly, "Are you Kenmaru's mom?" "Yes I am," Mom says with a smile, "And I bet he told you why I'm here right?" "Yeah," Kaiti replies softly, "He said that you were going to bring me something to help me remember." My mom just smiles and says, "You're correct dear." Then she holds up the water bottle and says, "Now sweetie, I know that this looks nasty and it will taste and smell nasty, but you must drink all of it. Do you think you can do that for me?"

Kaiti nods slowly and hesitantly takes the bottle from my mom's hand. "Here goes nothing," I hear her mutter to herself as she opens the bottle and begins to drink. Her face twists in disgust, but she keeps drinking the antidote anyway. Finally, she swallows the last drop and hands the bottle back to my mom. She then looks over at me and opens her mouth to say something, but then immediately gasps as all of her memories begin to flood her mind. She puts a hand to her forehead and clutches the bed sheets to steady herself. When she looks back up at me, there are tears in her eyes. "Kenmaru," she says softly before launching herself into my arms. "Kenmaru," she cries, "I'm so sorry. Damn it. I don't know how in the hell I could ever forget you. I'm so sorry koishii." I hold her close to me and bury my face into her hair as she cries. "Shh koi," I whisper into her ear, "It's alright now. Shh, everything is going to be alright. You remember now. That's all that matters." Silently, everyone else in the room gets up and leaves the room. They all know that we need this time alone together. "I'm so sorry Kenmaru," Kaiti whispers tearfully, "I. . . I tried to warn you when I first smelled the herbs, but they were too strong. Then when I woke up in that room, I tried. . . I tried to purify them with my staff. But, they. . . They had their mistress, the witch, place a spell on the room that blocked my powers. I tried to fight them off, but they were too strong. One of them. . . He slapped me and the next thing I knew, they had me pinned on the bed and one was forcing my mouth open. They poured this dark green sludge down my throat that caused me to black out. This is all my fault. I'm so sorry." "Stop Kaiti," I whisper urgently in her ear, "Don't you dare blame yourself. It's not your fault." "But," she tries to protest, but I silence her by covering her lips with my own. The kiss becomes needy as Kaiti immediately deepens the kiss to the point of tongues battling for dominance. We take a break for air and after a moment I go to kiss her again, but a voice outside of our door stops us cold.

(Kaiti's POV)

When I hear Marrissa speaking directly outside of our bedroom door, the mood is immediately ruined. "She's fine," I hear my dear adopted sister say with a sigh of relief, "They're making out, so she's fine." I look Kenmaru in the eye and hold up one finger in order to tell him to give me a minute. Quickly, I walk over to the door and yank it open, causing Rissa to fall into the room. "Hey sis," I say a bit too sweetly, "What did I tell you about listening in on me and Kenmaru when we're having a private moment?" She looks up at me and gulps before laughing hesitantly. I just know that she sees fire in my eyes. "Umm," Rissa says nervously, "Didn't you say something about not getting caught listening to you?" I glare at her for a minute longer and she finally sighs in defeat. "Fine," she huffs, "You said not to listen in on you and your man. Happy now?" "Nope," I reply with a wicked smile, "Do you remember that interesting threat that you made towards Kenmaru just a little while ago? It had something to do with making him another necklace, right?" "You remember that," she asks with a nervous laugh. "Uh huh," I reply, "Just because at the moment I couldn't remember two years of my life doesn't mean that I don't remember what you said now that I do remember. Oh and sis, if I catch you listening in on us again, I'll carry out your threat. It just won't be against Kenmaru, if you catch my drift." Marrissa looks up at me fearfully as I glare down at her. Then, I begin to hear soft laughs coming from my parents and in-laws. "Well she's back to normal," my dad says with a chuckle, "I almost feel sorry for the witch that caused this whole situation. She won't last long once my red-head gets a hold of her." "Keh," my father-in-law scoffs lightly, "If she knows any better, she might as well show herself and give up now. If we have to chase her down, we'll have both Kaiti and Kenmaru tearing her to pieces." "Which is what she deserves," I growl angrily, "When I get my hands on her, that witch is going to rue the day that she even thought about messing with me. No one tries to make me forget the best memories of my life and gets away with it."

As the last angry words leave my lips, I suddenly begin to sense a demonic aura nearby that feels faintly familiar. "So she decided to show her face," I growl angrily and turn back towards my bedroom. I quickly enter and go straight towards the lone window. Looking out into the backyard, I see a slender woman glaring up at me from near the tree line. I glare back at her as Kenmaru comes up behind me. "That's her isn't it," he asks with an angry growl. I just nod and turn to look into his eyes. The emotions in his eyes are the same that I feel burning inside of my whole being. "Let's go koishii," I say determinedly, "I want her to pay for what she did." Kenmaru growls in agreement and together we exit our bedroom and head downstairs towards the back door. My in-laws and sister follow right behind us. When we get to the backyard, the witch is still there. "What is this," she asks coldly, "Don't tell me that you actually thought that you could bring the miko out to battle when she has no memory of you or the battles that she has already fought?" "Do you honestly think that I would have come out here if I didn't know what in the hell was going on," I ask her angrily, "I'm going to make you pay for trying to erase my memories of my mate." "No," Akumu hisses angrily, "How is it that you remember? My potion should still be in your system." "It's called an antidote Akumu," my mother-in-law says coldly, "Or did you forget that I knew about a way to cure people of your potion? What did you do, drink some of your own poison?" "You shall pay for ruining my plans miko," Akumu screeches before launching to the attack. "I don't think so," I cry as I summon my staff to my hands, "You keep your filthy claws off my mother-in-law! Purifying Force!" With one swing, both of the witch's arms fall to the ground with a thump. Slowly, the rest of her body starts to purify as the energy from my attack penetrates her skin and tissue. She begins to screech insults at me as she slowly dies. "Oh just shut up," I say coldly, "You're about to rot in Hell anyway, so stop spewing your pitiful insults. Your words are useless now." Slightly shocked, the witch shuts up and just glares at me as she finally dies a well deserved death. "Good riddance," Kenmaru growls as we turn away from the newly formed pile of youkai ash and once again enter the comfort of our home. After a while, we finally order some pizza and have a quiet supper together with our family before turning in for the night. After the last of our guests leave, Kenmaru and I head upstairs in order to get some rest after our long day. Before we go to sleep though, Kenmaru picks up where we left off earlier and makes love to me with needy passion for what seems like hours. When we're both finally satisfied, he pulls me into his embrace and holds me close as I lay my head on his chest lovingly. The last thing that I'm aware of are his lips on my forehead and whisper of, "I love you," before my tired mind takes me off into a world of dreams.


End file.
